Article: "The Goddess Who Menstruates," by Ami Jhaveri

[Guest guest]

Here is an article that discusses more deeply the Kamakhya Temple

mentioned in my recent reply to prainbow's "Pregnant Goddess" query,

and offers some further elucidation of Adi and Colin's discussion of

Kali and Kamakhya:

 

THE GODDESS WHO MENSTRUATES

by Ami Jhaveri

 

As an epicentre of Sakta Tantrism, Kamakhya is steeped deeply in dark

areas of worship, in more ways than one. Situated three miles from

Guwahati, Assam (earlier known as Kamarupa) on the Nilachal hill,

about eight hundred feet above sea level, is the abode of Goddess

Kamakhya (one of the hundreds of names of Kali).

 

According to legend, Sati, the first incarnation of Parvati, married

Siva against the wishes of her father Daksa. Later, when Daksa

performed a great sacrifice, he invited all the gods and celestial

beings except Siva and Sati. She longed to meet her parents and

sisters and also ask her father why he ignored Siva thus. In her

excitement, she attended the sacrifice uninvited where Daksha, on

seeing her, abused Siva.

 

Unable to bear the humiliation she burnt herself in the blazing fire.

Hearing of this, Siva in his mad fury destroyed the sacrifice.

Overcome by deep sorrow and grief, he carried her dead body on his

head and started dancing his Tandava, which could destroy the three

worlds. Vishnu was approached to put a stop to Siva's dance and he,

with the help of Brahma and Sani, disposed Sati's body limb by limb.

The places where the limbs fell, naturally became pilgrim centres,

known as pithas.

 

It is said that Sati's yoni or vagina fell at Nilachal, which is why

it is known as the Yoni Pitha. The mountain represented the body of

Siva and when Sati's genital organ fell on it, it turned blue. The

goddess herself is called Kamakhya, because she came to Nilachal

secretly to satisfy her desires (kama) with Siva. Ironically, the

site of her passion eventually became her graveyard as well. Kamakhya

is one of the few Hindu temples which does not have an idol

(considering that the Shivalinga is a symbolic idol) of the diety.

 

Inside the temple, is a cave with a cleft in the rock resembling a

Yoni. The "seat" of the goddess is always moist from a sacred spring,

and once every year (at the time of the Autumn Equinox), when the

spring waters naturally turn reddish, it is said that the goddess'

Yoni menstruates. Some geologists attribute this to the iron oxide

deposits in the rock, which are released due to seasonal changes

during the rains.

 

During the month of June-July (Asadh) the colourful festival of

Ambubachi, is held, when the Earth is supposed to have its annual

menstrual period. For three days, the temple is closed and no pilgrims

are allowed while the goddess is "impure". In villages in Assam, it

is also popular by the name of Haht, which lasts for about 5-7 days

after which all articles in the house must be purified. It is also

believed that Brahmin widows must not walk on the earth during this

period.

 

Apparently, Mother Earth attains her fertility to conceive crops. To

symbolise the occasion, only red flowers, red vermillion etcetera are

used. And what's more, pieces of red cloth, with the diety's

menstrual blood are given to devotees as sacred symbols.

 

Her association with blood does not end here. In fact, after being

destroyed once, the present temple was rebuilt in 1565. At that time,

the heads of 140 men rolled and were offered to her on salvers of

copper, the metal being peculiarly linked with her worship. Human

sacrifice was a recognised ritual with a class of men called bhogis

consecrated to her, who were supposed to be voluntary victims. This

practice was stopped only in 1832, and at present innocent goats

satisfy her daily thirst for blood.

 

Early stories of Kamakhya are found in the Mahabharata and in the

Kalika Purana. However, historians have not been able to give any

date to this temple, and some suggest that it must have existed as a

small shrine, worshipped by the locals as a folk diety for a long

time before it was made into a full fledged temple. In terms of its

architecture and art, it is much valued.

 

The outer walls of the present sixteenth century temple are decorated

with several stone carvings of goddess forms, including a squatting

woman exposing her Yoni, a mother suckling her child, and a

warrioress or "Amazon" holding a drawn bow. Together these three

goddess forms illustrate three of the most compelling and easy-to-

understand aspects of Kali - her uncompromising sexuality, her

motherly compassion and her protective ferocity.

 

But this ferocity of hers is now under fire, because of a shortage of

water. The Soubhagya pukhuri, (pukhuri in Assamese means pond) where

the pilgrims are required to wash their hands and feet and offer

prayers before entering the sanctum sanctorum has dried up. The

springs along the mountain are also dry and the Municipal Council has

not been able to satisfy the goddess's thirst for water. The 4,000

pilgrims who visit daily may have to be turned away while the

ceremonies and ritual bathings may have to be put on hold for a

while.

 

Will Kali be subdued so easily or will she spring forth and restore

her own glory?

 

Source: http://www.evesindia.com/kulture/eves_culture_godess.html