The City of Joy
Kamakhya Temple - The Seat of Shakti Worship in India
The Kamakhya Temple in Assam, a northeastern state in the Indian sub continent is a famous site for Tantrick or the worship of the evil eye in India. This particular temple is s one of the most revered Shakti temples in India. Regarded as one of the Shakti Peethams, the temple is associated with the legend of Shiva (Indian God) and Daksha Yagna (Mythologycal Indian figure representing Death incarnate). The temple is located in the Nilachal hills, about 8 km west to the city of Guwahati, capital of Assam in India.
Festivities
The Ambubachi is the biggest festival in the temple; It signifies the godess and her menstrual cycle which begins on the 7th day of the Ashaad month according to the Hindu calendar while coinciding as per the English calendar on the 22 of June. The festival continues for 3 days when the temple is closed. Devotees from all over the world visit the temple during that time; the temple is opened on the fourth day. Book your tickets and hotels in advance if you visit during that time. Manasha Puja,Durga Puja, and the Debaddhani festival are also celebrated here.
What to see
Mostly people offer pujas to the godess Kamakhya. Built atop the hills, the view is magnificient and so is the inlay of the temple where one can see sculptures of various hindu Gods & goddesses. Interesting images of Yoni of the Goddess, Ganesha, Chamundeswari, dancing fitures, are quite captivating.
Pilgrims queue at the entrance porch from where they are moved to the semi dark inner sanctorum. The image of the Goddess is kept on a throne. You will see a small pool, devotees offer puja near the water. The symbolic organ covered in a red cloth can be seen from here.
Visit the Bhubaneswari Temple further up the hill, the view of the serpentine Bramhaputra & the drive if not anything else is a sure charmer.
The temple remains open from 8 am till the evening, a break around 1.30 pm.
Best time to visit
Unless you want to see the festivities, April is the best time to visit Guwahati & the temple; it also coincides with the Bihu festival the climate is at its best during this time.
Journey to Kamakhya (Guwahati)
The airport is very close to the temple, most domestic carriers have daily flights to Guwahati.
Railway: there are plenty of trains to Guwahati from all parts of India, mostly routed through Kolkata. Kamrup express and Rajdhani are some important trains.
Road: Guwahati is well connected by road, there are private taxi services, as well as government and semi deluxe buses. The bus services in Guwahati are excellent.
Being the commercial centre of the North east Hotels in Guwahati are aplenty from budget to the luxury, most of the budget hotels are located in an area called Paltan bazaar, the commercial hub of the city. List of some of the luxury hotels are:
Good site for hotel bookings-
http://www.north-east-india.com/hotels-in-north-east-india/hotels-in-guw...
http://www.oxfordtravels.com/asia/india/guwahati/index.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maitreyee_Chowdhury
