Kamakhya Mandir, Assam

July 15, 2009

Pranaamam Sreeramagaru,

Any personal ponderings on the Kamakhya Mandir of Assam and its ways? Especially

Devi worshipped in Yoni state and the importance of Dasa Mahavidya temples along

with Kamakhya Amma!

Isnt it a place of ancient Tantric / Shakti aradhana mentioned even in Devi

Bhagavata, Devi Purana, Kalika Purana, Yogini Tantra, Hevajra Tantra, Tantra

Chudamani

(http://kamakhyamandir.org/culture-and-history/a-historical-note-on-sri-sri-kama\

khya-temple/)?

It would be really nice to see your views on Kamakhya Amma!

May Amma bless you with her True Love!

Vivek

July 16, 2009

It is verily a sacred spot.I have already broached upon this temple a couple of times in my postings dedicated to it.Some have even been lifted verbatim and copied even to their official sites.Please do read older postings or make a search in the easy search facility before asking a query.In any case, I will give a posting here.

In traditional worship, a woman is considered as "impure" during her 3/5 day monthly cycle, further to which she is almost treated as an untouchable according to ancient traditions still prevelant.

On the otherhand in Tantrik worship, most of the rituals including initiation are centered on these very same 3/5 days, this period being the most important period where the woman is considered most pure and an incarnation of Shakti. This is clear from various references made in Tantric texts.

Even texts like Dakshinamurthy Samhita(which some wrongly think to be some Sathwic text on Dakshinamurthy alone) prescribes in a couple of Patalas procedures whereby the menstrual blood is taken as a worshipful Tantric object celebrating fertility,karmic cleansing,etc.Why for that matter even in your Keraladesham, they use Guruthy in Devi Puja, which is nothing but a symbolism for this menstrual blood.

(Above is not a picture from Kamakhya from Assam but from another place in Andhra)

Legend says that,Brahma can create but only through the yoni which shall be the sole creative principle, and will bless the soul with life. After severe penance Brahma brought down a luminous body of light to earth and placed it within the yoni circle of Goddess Kamakhya at Kamarupa.

Matrikabheda Tantra (English translation Ideological Book House 1990) describes the different types:

"Shri Shankara said:The first menses appearing in a woman who has lost her virginity is Svayambhu blood.In a maiden born of a married woman and begotten by another man, that which arises is Kunda menses, the substance causing the granting of any desire.Deveshi, a maiden begotten by a widow gives rise to Gola menses, which subdues gods.The menses arising in the first period after a virgin becomes a married woman is the all bewildering Svapushpa."

However, I would caution one and all before they enter the Kamakhya Tantra and menstrual blood worship modlities.These are not meant for everyone and definitely not for the faint-hearted.There is no doubt it involves sacred sexuality but it requires the utmost caution and care of one's preceptor.Do not be guided by above images wherein you see women worshipping and think it is ok.Real Tantric practices take real courage.It is onething to visit a temple and worship the iconic representation but it is entirely a different thing to actually sit with the Tantric mantras.

However, if you get a right Guru, know the correct mantras and do intrepid and ritualized sadhana, then, She can easily and quickly be pleased in this Kaliyuga.This much I can tell you positively from my personal experience.

Also, the following Vidyas are said to grant complete Siddhi in the age of Kali Yuga when duly received from Sadguru:

kAlI nIlA mahAdurgA tvaritA ChinnamastakA |vAgvAdinI chAnnapUrNA tathA pratyaNgirA punaH ||kAmAkhyA vashinI bAlA mAtaNgI vindhyavAsinI |ityAdyA paramA vidyAH sadA pUrNAphalapradAH

Also, Kamakhya Tantra is a deity specific Tantra and so extra care must be taken to follow exactly what is given in the Tantric text with proper interpretation.I see a surfiet of sites and "ashrams" which are giving Kamakhya Tantra's main mantra and charging for objects of worship like Yantra and "Kamakhya rosary"(nothing like that exists!), another Kali manifestation to dupe gullible public.Initially I too thought a few sites were authentic but upon careful perusal I have come to know their chicanery for which I have been calmunized in their sites/groups earlier as someone who is dissuading people from authetic Tantra(Fakester,Corporate Guru, etal! by misguided youth).In any case, Ma will take care, so I left them to their ways.

Please have a look at the following interesting videos:

1.

2.

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xinj7ySIVx4 & feature=related

Any writeup on Kamakhya temple would be incomplete without a small write-up on Ambubachi ritual

The Ambubachi Festival Rituals:In the period of Ambubachi the Goddess has the period of menses. The colour of the water also becomes red. Drinking the water acts like a cure-all medicine. The divinity and nobility of the bloodstained cloths of Devi is unending. Highest festival is performed on the eve of Ambubachi. One can view the goddess or the vaginal form of Devi covered on red cloth in candlelight.

Pilgrims gather from all over India and tourists crowd the festival. However, in the period of Ambubachi, the temple remains closed for 3 consecutive days. A marriage festival on the occasion of Devi's marriage with Lord Kameswar is called "Paus-Bia". The Spring festival in spring season and such other festivals are celebrated round the year in Kamakhya.

The Beliefs:This temple is pervaded with scores of prejudices, horrors, thrills and mysteries. Legend says man becomes sheepish at the Devi Kamakhya hill. Devis anger might deprive one of one's lines of descent. Again, the blessing of Devi may help a barren woman to bear child.

The temple remains open from 8.00 am to sunset, except for 2 hours at noon. In the front premises of the temple, there is a pool namely, "Sauvagya Kunda" and other temples of "Dasamahavidya", "Siddhesvara" and "Kameswar" are located around the main temple of Devi Kamakhya.

In the sAdhanamAlA, we find mention of four pIThas or sacred spots of the vajrayAnists, namely, kAmAkhyA, shrIhaTTa, pUrNagiri and UDDiyAna. The identification of the first two is certain. Both are situated in the province of Assam. kAmAkhyA is now known both as kAmAkhyA or kAmarUpa which is a few miles off from Gauhati.

Yours Yogically,

Shreeram Balijepalli

Shaktheyem , "Kluber" <vivekkvn wrote:>> Pranaamam Sreeramagaru,> > Any personal ponderings on the Kamakhya Mandir of Assam and its ways? Especially Devi worshipped in Yoni state and the importance of Dasa Mahavidya temples along with Kamakhya Amma!> > Isnt it a place of ancient Tantric / Shakti aradhana mentioned even in Devi Bhagavata, Devi Purana, Kalika Purana, Yogini Tantra, Hevajra Tantra, Tantra Chudamani (http://kamakhyamandir.org/culture-and-history/a-historical-note-on-sri-sri-kamakhya-temple/)?> > It would be really nice to see your views on Kamakhya Amma!> > May Amma bless you with her True Love!> > Vivek>