Kamakhya Temple

Introduction:

The Kamakhya Temple, which is situated high aloft a hill called Neelachal Parbat or Kamagiri in the city of Guwahati is one of its several religious landmarks.

The temple is situated a few kilometers away from the Guwahati Railway Station, and is open for visitors throughout the year. There is a legend attached to the history of the temple, which goes way back to the mythological age. According to the legend, Sati the wife of Lord Shiva (one of the holy Trinities in Hindu mythology) took her life at a 'Yagna' ceremony that had been organized by her father Daksha, because she could not bear the insults hurled at her husband by her father. On hearing the news of his wife's death, Shiva, the destroyer of all that was evil flew into a rage and punished Daksha by replacing his head with that of a goat. Torn between misery and blind fury, Shiva picked up the corpse of his beloved wife Sati and performed a dance of destruction called the 'Tandava'. The intensity of the destroyer's fury was so overwhelming that it took several Gods to pacify his anger. In the midst of this struggle, Sati's corpse accidentally got cut into 51 parts by the disc in the hands of Lord Vishnu (also one of the Trinities in Hindu mythology), and her female genitalia or 'Yoni' fell on the spot where the Kamakhya temple stands today, forming one of the many Shakti 'Peethas' embellishing the rest of her body parts.

How to reach:

By Air:

Guwahati is connected by air to the major cities of India like Delhi, Kolkata, Imphal, Agartala, Aizawl, Dibrugarh and Jorhat. Delhi and Kolkata are just one and a half hours away from Guwahati.

By Rail:

The Paltan Bazaar Railway Station in Guwahati is an important terminus on the North-East Frontier Railway. It is well connected with all the major cities of India.

Guwahati is the hub of the road network to the north eastern region and to centers west of Assam. The distance between Guwahati and Kolkata i