The shrine of the Goddess Kamakhya stands on the Nilachal hill in Kamrup district of Assam. Situated at a distance of 5 km. from Guwahati. Kamakhya is one of fiftyone ‘pitha’s (holy places) where the limbs of Sati-Parvati fell as her husband Siva carried her dead body hither and thither in great sorrow. The temple has no image of the goddess. The goddess worshipped here is a ‘yoni’ (genital organ) circle sculptured on a block of stone in a cave within the temple. Within the cave there is a natural spring which keeps the stone wet all the time. Sakti (power) is worshipped here. At the very root of the concept of Sakti (power) there is the concept of the Mother. The Mother is the mother Earth-Vasumati. Life originates from her and ends in her. Thus she is the main force behind life and death; creation and destruction. In the form of the ‘Yoni’ she is the mother Earth.King Narakasura built the Kamakhya temple and worshipped the Devi. According to a popular myth, Naraka was captivated by the charms of Kamakhya and proposed to her. The cunning goddess agree to accept his offer on condition that Naraka must construct on the hill a temple, a tank and masonary road from the foot of the hill in one night. Applying all his demoniac force Naraka almost completed the construction before the sunrise. On seeing this the Devi through her supernatural power made a cock crow before it was actually day-break. Thus Naraka failed in his great bid to marry her.In the third month (Ahar) of every Assamese year the festival of Ambubasi is held at Kamakhyadham. It is believed to be the period of Devi’s menstruation. During these days the main temple remains closed. Thousands of Sadhus, Sanyasis and devotees from all over World come to visit the main pitha here on the day, Ambubasi ends. During the festival a big fair is held.Everyday a large numbers of devotees from different corner of India gather here. Near the main temple there are othe temples of other deities, such as, Bhoiravi, Kameswar, Kotilinga, Tara, Kali and Bagala.
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