Navaratri Series — Day 2 — Kamakhya Devi
Kamakhya — as the name suggests is the Goddess associated with ‘Kama’ or desire. The story goes that Narakasura, was son of Vishnu (Varaha) and Goddess, asked for a boon that he will die only after he will strike a weapon on his mother. And, taking care of his boon, he never hurt his mother. Like most Rakshasas, he too became ambitious and started projecting himself as the almighty. In his arrogance, he started to desire the Goddess herself forgetting she is his mother. He sent proposal to her for marriage. The Goddess put a condition that she will marry him only if he will put a staircase to the Neelanchal mountain peak WITHIN a night, before rooster makes it’s crowing sound of the dawn. Narakasur, infatuated with desire, agreed.
In the midnight, the Goddess came to Neelanchal peak, picked up a rooster and started playing with it lovingly. Rooster playfully crowed and thus Goddess’s condition was broken. Tricked by the wily Goddess, angry Naraka hurled his mace towards the Goddess which touched her. Thus, his boon of being immortal till he will strike a weapon on his mother also broke. Suddenly, Narakasur found himself totally vulnerable in front of the Goddess. Within moments, the Goddess defeated him in the dual and pierced her Trident into his body. Before dying, he requested mercy from the Goddess. The Goddess declared that this day will be renamed as Naraka-Chaturdashi.
Kamakhya’s shrine is located near Guwahati in Assam. This shrine is considered as the focal point of the tantrik traditions of Hinduism. The Goddess Kamakhya is manifested in the form of a Yoni or womb and temple, too, is constructed in such a way that devotees feel they are going into womb of earth. The Ahom dynasty of Assam were the great patrons of the temple. Every year during rainy season, the Goddess bleeds red liquid during which the shrine is closed as Goddess is considered as taking rest. That time Ambubachi Mela is celebrated across Assam when the temple premises is flocked by the tantriks across the globe. She is considered fulfiller of the desires or Kama- hence the name Kamakhya.
In the tantra, Kamakhya is born of the lotus sprouting from Shiva’s navel similar to how Brahma is born of Vishnu’s navel. In a way, this symbolizes that Goddess is not different from God and both are complementary. However, unlike the vegetarian Vaishnodevi, Kamakhya demands blood. She is ritually offered animal sacrifice of male animals like rooster, male goat, male buffalo etc.
Day 2 of Navaratri — Kamakhya Shrine located in the east of the Indian sub-continent.
