chapter five

RITES AND RITUALS OF KAMAKHYA

The ........
Kalika
Purana
....................

contains informations

about

the rites and ritu a ls of Kamakhya in d e ta il. This is

work written

in 10th century.

But

the

worship

a
of

goddess Kamakhya was started in the remote past. There

fore, i t is very d iffic u lt to say how the goddess
worshipped

before

the

Kalika purana

was

However, the rite s and ritu a ls of the deity

in prevalance

fo r a long time.

of worship is followed according

U^Vil

was

composed.
might

be

now the method

to the

Kalika Purana.

Not only the worship of Kiinakhya but a lso the w o rsh ip

of goddess Durga follows the Kalika Purana.
The Dhyina* o f mother goddess Kamakhya accord
ing to the Kalika Purana is as follow s:
*

The deity has three eyes whose earings are lik e

Ska.

the Sun and the Moon of yellow colour, A wearing arnaments

o f p reciou s gems, whose hands are showing Vara

and

'Abhaya* mudra, who i s s i t t i n g on a red lotus^ who

has

92

a t t a

i n

s t a n

d s

e d

o n

n e w

T-

e s v a r i .

y o u

t h

c r o p

s e .

h o s e

S h e

i r

i s

a r e

o t

S a r v a k a m

e c o r a t e d

e s v a r i

a n d

/
S h e

c e

a n d

o r s h i p

K a v a c a *

a n

i v

e s

i s

t o

i m

i l a

r l y

h o s e

l e n

s p

t t a

i n

t h

s a g e

i s

t h

l y u

t a k

r h y m

a n

t y

i r e d

i s

i k a n

i n

h e r

r a v i s W

s h e

A n u s t u p *

1 .

* D

e a l t h

b y

o n i

h a r m

s a m

r h

a s p

a n d

k u n k u m

a k a v i c i t r a

l o l a

s i d d h

s u

a r u n a - k a m

a v a t a r u

r a n a r e s a

a l a s a m

s t h a

a s a r i r a

i s

s h e

r t h a ,

c o m

i d d h a k a -

, y

t r a p r a

e s v a r i

t o

'

t a

t h e

t t a

i n

s i d

/ /

K P . 62/143-146
2

k a m

e v

v i n

a k h y a

k a m

i y o g a h

s i r a h

k a m

k a v a c a s y a

e s v a r i

t a

s y a

s a r v a s i d d h

e s V

a r i

e v i

v r h

a s p a t i s s m

r t a h

a n u s t u p c c h a n d a

a u

k a m

t a n

c a

a k h y a

i s y

s r n v a n t u

c a k

s u

s i

t e

d e v a t a h

a m

I b i d .

i l l

g o d d e s s ,

s a

K a m a k h y a

i s a n a s t h a

s u h a r a

i n

o k s a .

g h

e v o t e e s

i s

'

e t r a

s a

p o s e s

l i e d

l o u

a n d

e s v a r i

T h e

K a m a

a m

- t r i n

r a k t a p a d m

h a s

u d r a .

a p l t a v a r n a

a - k a m

u ^ a k e s l

u r i n a

a t i ,

r n

s a k s a s u

a t a

a , A

i t

a b h a y a - v a r a d a h a s t a

r a n

w h o

1
l

f a

a n d

a /

7 2 / 4 4 - 4

-6

i . 2

93

The Yogihi Tantra d irects the pilgrims about the ways of

going to the Nilacala h illo ck and i t s conseauences.
Anybody climbing the h illo ck from the eastern

side w ill

achieve salvation and kingdom by the west gate, but

other sides incur^ lo se s.

While climbing the

by

h illock a

sloka i s to be re cite d .
Before entering the shrine one has to go to
' Saubhagya Kunda .

This Kunda or tank is the play resort

of Goddess Kamakhya where Indra with other gods worshipped

4
Prajapati.
Then the pilgrim , a fter taking holy bath in
the tank should resort to fasting a fte r going round
tank with folded hands and by uttering a mantra.

3. tato gacca nilasailam madhyahne paramesvari /

astamyanca trayodasyam caturdasyamathapi va / /
visuve'yane vatha/gacchet prapnuyadvipulam dhanam /
uttare muktikamastu rajyakamantu pascime / /
yada daksinamargena aroha nllakutakam /
hatarajyo bhavedraja anyeyam jayate ksaya / /
YT.2/6/90-92
4. krida puskarini sa tu kamakhya suresvari /
sakrenopasitam purvam mahadevaih prajapati / /
Ibid, 2/6/101
5. krsnakrtim vifnurupam namaskrtamama priye /
stuta pradaksinam krtva tato devi-grham vrajet / /
Ibid 2/6/1^53

the

94

Then the pilgrim has to approach Gctnesa to seek

h is permission to v i s it Kamakhya.,^ The image of Gqnes'a
i s to be touched with th is mantra.
mantra i s to be chanted.

And the salutation

Before entering the shrine proper, one has to go

to Kambalesvara and a fte r praying him with salutation
should enter the shrine.
After entering the shrine the f i r s t and foremost
duty of the pilgrim i s to worship the mobile image
a,

(C^anta Murti or Bhogmurti).

The image of the Yoni godd

ess Kamakhya i s a t the door step of the Manobhava guha,

where the image of Yoni goddess stands.
This image i s made of metal and i t stands upon a
lion seat made of stone.
Cl

__

6. namste ganapatf deva mahabhairavarupine *678

anujnam dehi me natha kamakhya-dars^nam p ra ti / /
1

Ibi d.

7. papo ham papakarmaham papatma papasambhavah /

trah i mam pundarikaksa sarvapapo haro hara / /
Ibid -

8 . devendra mauli mandara makaranda kanarunah /

vighnam harantu heramva caranamvujare namah / /
I b id .,

t*? -

95

On the northern sid e o f th e sh rin e th ere i s Karnes'vara Siva who i s borne by a b u ll, f i v e fa ced
handed.
/

and

ten

On the southern sid e s ix eyed, tw elve armed,

-

CA&c

Kamesvari i s s it t in g on a lio n , Cropse and lo tu s . Kames----- /

v a r i i s borne by Brahma, Visnu and Siva.

Siva i s in the

shape of a white Cropse, Brahma, a red lo tu s and Visnu a

lio n .

I t i s sa id th a t they bear the goddess in d is g u is e

because they should not bear the goddess in th e ir own

form.^
Goddess Kamlkhya i s to be worshipped by the
10

mantra

Now i t i s time to beg perm ission, t o v i s i t th e

symbolic image of Karaakhya ( Y o n i p i t h a ) H e r sa lu ta tio n

9. visnu-brahma siv a ird e v a ird h riy a te sa jaganmayi /

s ita p r e to mahadevo brahma lohitapankajam /
hariharastu v ijn ey a vahanatii mahaujasah /
svamurttya vahanantu tesam yasmanna yu jya te / /
KP. 58/56
10. kamakhye kamasampanne kamesvari h arapriye /
kainanam dehi me nityam kamesvari namo stu te
KT, p . 66
11. kanade kainarupasthe subhage su ra sevite /
karomi dar/anam devyah sarvakamarthasiddhaye /
I b i d ., p.66

//

96

tia*c\rLSL

i s to be re c ite d . 2

In the cave there is a

water oozing out from a spring.

flow

of

There is a mantra' for

/

touching the image which is known as *sparsa mantra' ^

The 'Yonipitha' i s a square size stone which is
always wet with water oozing out from a natural spring
below.

The length o f the 'Yonipitha* i s almost 1.5 f t

in length and 1 f t . in breadth (Ekabahu and

d^vada/a

anguli) which is attached with a Sivalinga

The above description of Yonipitha is also

found

in the YoginI T^ntra and Kalika Purina.1^

As the Pitha is a sacred place of the genital
organ (Yonipitha) so h alf of i t is covered by cloth,
flowers and garlands and the remaining portion is kept
open fo r worship.
12. kamakhye varade devi nilaparvatavasini /
tvam devi jaoatam mataryonimudre namo'stu te /,/
"
Ibid, p. 67
13. manobhava guhamadhye raktapasana rupini /
tasyali sparsamatrena punarjanma na v id ya te//Ib id ,p .67
14. saptas^iti dhanurmanam ruksaraktasila ca ya /
astahastam sapulakam lingam laksarddha samyutamV
catuhastasamam ksetrah pascime yonimandalam / /
vahumatramitaficaiva prastare dvadasangulam / /
apatalam jalam tatra yonimadhye pratisthitam /
!b id ,p .68
15. dikkarasya vayavye ca nllapftham sudurlabham/
yatra kame^vari devi yonimudra sftvarupini / /
YT.2/1/45

97

On the eastern side of the *Yonipitha'

kpdwn a ^ o

wh^ch

* Sod6s,P , there i s Matangi (Sarasvatl)and

Kamala (Laksmi) P ith a s .16

d iffe re n t mantras.

17

They are worshipped with

A fter t h is the p ilgrim is to come

out from th a t cave and need t o go round# by r e c itin g

4
18
mantra.
-

The usual custom i s to v i s i t Umahanda temple

situ ated in an islan d in the Brahmaputra and by the
permission of the Siva (Umahanda), the devotee can

v is it

Kamakhya tem ple.

But i f anybody cannot do i t he can seek

/
19
permission from. K^mbalesvara.
He i s a ls o saluted with

16. laksmih sa rasvati

devyau devyah sange vyava sth ite /

la lita k h y a bhavallaksrnirmatangi tu sa ra sv a ti / /
galadhyaksah purvabhage tasya s'ailasya samsthitah /
siddhah sa namna vikhyata dvare devyah priyah s u ta h //
KP. 62/99-100
17. sadacara-priye devi suklapuspamvarapriye /
gomayadis^uci-prite mahalaksmi namo stu t e / /
KT. p . 69
18. yani yaniha papahi janmantara krtani ca /
ta n i ta n i vinasVantu pradakinam pade p a d e // I b i d ,p .72
19. nagaste kamvalesaya mahabhairavarupine /
anujnam dehi me natha kamakhya-darsanam p r a t i / /
I b i d ,p .73

98

a pecu lia r mantra. 20

Close to the Devipitha there are also the temples
o f Tripursvara Bhairava 3Kamesvanj^ Siddhesvamand Kedara
and in the nearby jungles on the northern side of the tem
p le there is Vanavasini, Jayadurga, and Lalita Kanta Pithas.
of stone.
Kambalakhya, i s neither Visnu nor Siva.

It

is

believed that PancananA-^iva is in these fiv e temples.

On the eastern side there is Vamadeva Siva
_

as Kamesvara who is saluted with a mantra .

known

pi

On the eastern side of Kamesvara there is

Isana

Siva, popularly known as Siddhesvara and he is saluted with

a 'm antra'.
On the northern side of the temple there is
temple of Tatpurusa Siva, known as

the

Kotilingam, who is also

20. namo namaste devesa syama srivatsabhusite /

laksmikanta namaste'stu namaste purusottama / /
devadanava-gandharva-padapadmarccita prabho /
namo varadalingaya kamvalaya namo namah / /
Ibid.* p.73

21. isvarastvam namaste stu parvati-pritivarddhana /

kamesvara namaste'stu kainana/esadayaka / /
Ibid, p. 80.

99

22

adored. With the Bhairavi temple, adjacent to the shrine

__
/
of Kamakhya there is Hetuka Siva known as Aghora. Accord
ing to the Kailka purana along with the worship of
_
_
_
23
Kamakhya worship six ty -fou r Yoginis are to be worshipped.
We now proceed to the discussion of fa irs

and

fe s tiv a ls held along with the worship o f the deity.

Following are the main fe s tiv a ls held at the
temple premises on d ifferen t occasions.
(1) Ambubaci* :

*Ambubaci1 is held from the seventh

day

to eleventh day of Asadha (within the f i r s t fortnight of

the month of June) comprising four days. It i s believed

22. prahadandlya
namah

nityaya

namaste

lohitaya

ca /

sahasrasiraya kotilinga namo stu te

//

namo bhagavate nityam girivrksapriyaya ca /

namo yajnadhipataye kotilinga namo stu te / /
Ib id ., p.81
23* vrahmani candika raudri gaurindrani tathaiva ca /
kaumari vaisnavi durga narsimhi ca kalika / /
camunda sivaduti ca

varahi kausiki tatha /

mahe^varl sankari ca jayanti sarvamangalaT / /

kali kapalini medha siva

sakambhari tathsT /

bhima sfiTnta bhramari ca rudran camvika tatha / /

ksama dhatri tatha svaha
...................

svadhaparna mahodari/
KP. 63/35-42

100

that th is is the period of menstruation of goddess KamakhyaT.

For those days the temple i s closed fo r devotees and v is ito r s
And i t is opened on the fourth day.

On th is occasion red

cloth s are worshipped and a lso distributed among the devotees

(2) ' Devadhani* j
fo r a long time.

This fe s t iv a l is in vogue in the temple

In th is

fe s tiv a l d iffe re n t musical instru

ments are played in the temple premises.

is held in the 'Pancaratna temple.
is sung on the occasion.

Worship of Manasa*

Beula-Lskhindara ballad

I t i s performed on the last

day of

Sravana' and f i r s t day of *Bhadra*.

(3) Durga puja and Vasanti Puja :

The worship o f Durga

and

Vasanti are held in autumn and spring season respectively.

There is almost no difference between these two goddesses,
except the time of worship.
d ifferen t from Kamakhya.

Durga or BasantI are not

Both the goddesses are worshipped

in the Devipitha and people from differen t parts o f the

country come here to attend the fe s tiv a ls .

The worship

is

done according to the instructions o f the Kalika Purana.Devi

Pur ana and Vrhannandi-^Purana .

Accordingly LaksjjJmi,

Sarasvati and Ratcfnti Kalika Puja, Kali Puja, S iv a -r ltr iVratfl^Janmastami, Daul^atra^ are also held. Local fe s tiv a ls
lik e Pusyabhiseka, MadanaCaturda^i, Navanna^ are also
regularly held.
(A) Durga Deul : Durga Deul is a remarkable fe s tiv a l uncommon
in other parts of the country.

This fe s tiv a l is held during

101

spring season particularly on second, th ird , fo u r th ,fifth

and sixth t i t h i of the bright f est iv a l . Like RadhsT-Krsna

in the Daul^atra, Kamedvara and KSainesvarl are kept in the

swing in th eir respective temples.

On the

nrJL

evejpaing

of

/?

the sixth day Devi Kamesvarl is taken out in a procession

For a ll these days special worships ere held.
held in the months

This is

of March and April (C a itra ).

Regarding Ambubaci a few points may also be

discussed
i/Sft-d-L.
In the f i r s t place Narakeu^s interwoven with th is
fe s tiv a l.

Visnu, in his Boar (Bclraha) incarnation

sexual rela tion with Basumati.

Naraka was born.

had

As a consequence of which

He was found on the s a c r ific ia l place by

king Janaka o f M ithila.

Visnu has ordered Naraka to

worship and only worship Mother Goddess Kamakhya.All these

remind us the a llu sion of Mother Barth.

Perhaps the

aboriginals prayed the Mother Earth fo r better yield or

they thought without propitiating Mother Barth good produc
tion of crops cannot be achieved.

However, this is a

fe stiv a l associated with agriculture.

Secondly, ancient Pragjyotisapura or Kamarupa fbut
not modern Assam^was perhaps a riverine land innundated
flood water of the Brahmaputra and i t s trib u ta rie s.

by

So i t

may be a fe s t iv a l in the rainy season praying mother goddess

102

for better crops and better climatic conditions.However,

there is no doubt that the myth of Naraka is associated
with mother cult, whether she is Nature or Earth.
Thirdly, m enstruation

of girls is observed

as a festival by different communities.

Fourthly, this festival of ambubaci in the tem
ple is so important that even today thousands of devotees
throng

the temple premises for several days.

popularity has not declined after so long

Its

a time.