Kamakhya temple in Assam

Kamakhya temple is one of the biggest Shakti shrines in the whole of India and also serves an important pilgrimage center for the tantric worshippers as well as the general Hindus. It is a place where the beliefs and practices of the Aryan communities coincide with those of non-Aryan communities, in Assam. The earlier form of the temple was destroyed by the Kala Pahar and was later reconstructed by the reigning king of the Koch Dynasty, Chilarai, in the year 1565. The current structure is a sacred complex consisting of three major chambers. The large western chamber of Kamakhya temple is rectangular in shape, while the middle chamber is square and contains inscriptions and images of Naranarayana of the Koch Dynasty. However, the most sacred shrine located within the temple is in the third chamber. This chamber is in the form of a cave and has a yoni-like cleft in the bedrock. There is a natural spring that flows through the cleft and keeps it moist. The whole temple, in general, is dedicated to the different forms of Mother Shakti, namely Sundari, Tripura, Tara, Bhuvaneshvari, Bagalamukhi and Chinnamasta.

A number of legends and myths have been associated with Kamakhya temple. Some believe that it is one of the Shakti Peeths, where, the reproductive organ (yoni) of Sati settled on the earth, following Her death. Many others associate the temple with Goddess Kali and emphasize the creative symbolism of the yoni. The major festival of the temple is the Ambubachi mela, held annually to celebrate the yearly menstruation of Goddess Kamakhya. It is said that during the month of Ahar (i.e. mid June), the natural spring that flows through the yoni like image of the Goddess turns red, resembling menstrual fluid.