A Spiritual Journey through Guwahati

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The largest city in Assam, Guwahati is practically the gateway to the ‘Seven Sisters’ to India’s North East. Like any other town in India that has haphazardly grown into a city, Guwahati is a bit chaotic, noisy and smoggy. The emerald green tea gardens, the wetlands and the national parks are all away from the city. What Guwahati does have in abundance are several old temples with some interesting stories behind them.

Kamakhya Temple

Arguably the most famous temple in the areas, the Kamahya Temple on the Nilachal Hill in western Guwahati comes with an old legend. The temple is dedicated to the tantric goddess Kamakhya also known as the goddess of desire. It is amongst the oldest of the 51 Shakti Peethas associated with the legend of Sati, the wife of Lord Shiva. After Sati hurled herself into the sacrificial fire performed by her father, Shiva started performing the tandava (dance of destruction) with Sati’s body on his shoulders. It is said that the different parts of the body scattered over the Indian subcontinent at 51 places, each of which is dedicated to a goddess. The Kamakhya Temple is built at the spot where her womb landed. The annual Ambubachi Mela and the Manasha Puja draw thousands of pilgrims and tantric devotees to the temple. The Durga Puja festival is also celebrated on a large scale here.

Navagraha Temple

The navagraha or the nine celestial bodies of astronomy are worshipped in various parts of India, either in a single shrine or in a cluster of nine temples. The Navagraha Temple in Guwahati is a single temple located on top of the Chitrasal Hill and dates back to the 18^th century. The temple was built by the Ahom king Rajeswar Singha. Nine shivalingas are enshrined in the temple, each of which represents one of the celestial bodies – the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Rahu and Ketu (the north and south lunar nodes). Each shivalinga is covered with a different coloured holy cloth symbolic of each heavenly body.

Umananda Temple

Located on Peacock Island in the middle of the Brahmaputra River, the Umananda Devaloi (temple) is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This 17^th century temple was built by the Ahom king Gadadhar Singha on the smallest inhabited river island in the world. The ride to the temple is as interesting as the temple itself. You can reach the temple by taking a ferry from either the Fancy Bazaar Ghat or the Uzan Bazaar Ghat. Mahashivratri is the biggest and most colourful festival here, attracting many devotees annually.

Other Temples Nearby

Just 40 kilometres from Guwahati is the ancient archaeological site of Madan Kamdev located in Kamrup district, which derives its name from Kamarupa – the ancient name for Assam. Stones of medieval temples, idols, engravings and animal figurines can be seen here. The main temple of Madan Kamdev is dedicated to the god of love. Legend has it that Lord Madan (or Kama) was reborn here after having been burnt to ashes by Lord Shiva in a fit of rage.

About a166 kilometres from Guwahati, in the town of Tezpur is where the Mahabhairav Temple is located. Originally built between the 8^th and 10^th centuries, the temple is  situatedon a hillock and is dedicated to an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Pillars of the old stone temple are still scattered around the temple, which is now renovated and built in concrete. Mahashivratri sees a surge of pilgrims at the temple.

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