Sri Rajarajeshwara Temple, Maheshwar - A temple for Kartaviryarjuna

The Rajarajeshwar Temple, Maheshwar

A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to visit the Rajwada of Queen Ahilya Bai Holkar in Maheswar. After a sunset boat ride along the majestic River Narmada, we visited the Ahilyeshwar temple built by and named after Queen Ahilyabai and the ancient Rajarajeshwar temple, renovated by her along the waterfront. Initially I thought this was yet another temple of Lord Shiva. However, only after going there, did I find that it was a temple associated with King Kartaviryarjuna, locally known as Sahasrabahu Arjuna. This visit helped me piece together various legends I had heard about him, growing up.

The shrine of Rajarajeshwara

My grandmother would always ask us to pray to Kartaviryarjuna if we lost something at home by chanting "Om Kartaviryarjuno Namah Raja Baahu Sahasravan Thasya Smarana Mathrena Gatham Nashtam Cha Labyathe"    

I would ask her why we prayed to him in particular and she would say because he had a thousand arms, he would easily be able to retrieve the lost item and we would always eventually find it. Who was Kartaviryarjuna and why is he associated with retrieving lost things......

The Lineage of Kartaviryarjuna

Yadu, the son of Yayati, (after whom the Yadavas came to be called) had four sons, Sahastrajit, the grandfather of Haihaya after whom the Haihaya dynasty is named; Krosta, the forefather of Lord Krishna, Nala and Nakusha. According to Vishnu Purana, the fifth generation descendent of Haihaya was Mahishman, who founded the city of Mahismathi (the Maheshwar of Today) on the banks of Narmada. 

According to the Narada Purana, the Sudharshana Chakra of Lord Vishnu had developed hubris over his power as Sriman Narayana's weapon. Angered by his arrogance, Lord Vishnu cursed him to be born as a mortal on earth. When the repentent Sudharshana begged for relief, Lord Vishnu promised him that at the right time, he would come to retrieve him. Sudharshana was then born as the great-great-grandson of Mahishman called Kartaviryarjuna.

As a young prince, Kartaviryarjuna was an ardent devotee of Dattatreya. He spent several years meditating on him. Pleased with his devotion, Dattatreya blessed him with a thousand arms (depicting the thousand blades on the Sudharshana Chakra), victory in warfare and over the worlds and finally death in the hands of a Mahapurusha. This led him to be called Sahasrabahu or Sahasrabahu Arjuna.

The shrine of Kartaviryarjuna in the Rajarajeswara Temple

The creation of Sahasradhara and the defeat of Ravana

Kartaviryarjuna started winning over the worlds and ruled them justly. He is said to have performed 16,000 yagnas. Initially, everything went well. He built temples and choultries. He installed Lord Shiva on the banks of the Narmada and worshipped him each day. He also built a shrine for his guru Dattatreya. Over time, when he found there was no one who dared to oppose him, he turned arrogant.

One day, Kartaviryarjuna was bathing in the river Narmada, with his wives. To demonstrate his power, he blocked the flow of the river with his thousand arms. This caused the river to backflow with force and created thousands of little streams, that are even today called Sahasradhara. Just at that time, a young Ravana was in the river, doing his morning pujas  Startled by the unusual swelling and reversing of the river, and the thousands of craters it was causing in the river bed, he ran to see what was happening. When he found a drunk Kartaviryarjuna blocking the river with his thousand arms, he fell upon him with an attempt to fight him.

Sahasradhara believed to have been created by Kartaviryarjuna 
Photo: Google

But Ravana was no match to the mighty Kartaviryarjuna. Tying him up like a monkey with his multiple hands, he brought him back to the palace. He was locked up in a cage like an animal or tied to the cradle of the little prince, with the task of rocking him to sleep. Local legends say Kartaviryarjuna lit lamps on all ten heads and the cupped hands of Ravana (11 in all) and made him a human lamp stand behind Lord Shiva in the Rajarajeswara temple. Finally, Sage Pulastya, the grandfather of Ravana, had to approach Kartaviryarjuna to request him to let go of his grandson.

Incurring the wrath of Parashurama

On one occasion, Kartaviryarjuna and his soldiers went hunting in the forest. When it became dark, they realised they had gone deep into its depths. Unable to find their way out, and desperate to find some food and shelter for the night, they somehow managed to find Sage Jamadagni's ashram. The sage welcomed them warmly and fed them a large dinner. Surprised he was able to do so deep inside the forest surprised the king. He asked the sage how he had managed.

The sage mentioned he was in possession of a divine cow called Kamadhenu, which could grant any of his wishes. The King immediately requested the sage to give him the divine cow. But the sage politely refused. The king even offered ten million cows or  half of his kingdom, whichever the sage preferred. The latter smiled and gently refused. The King tried to explain patiently that if had the cow, he could fulfill all the desires of his countrymen that would make Mahismathi the happiest kingdom on earth. Still, Jamadagni did not budge. 

Now the king was furious. He ordered his minister and men, to take the cow by force. They chopped off the head of Jamadagni and carried the cow and calf to the palace. Not able to find her husband, Renuka, the wife of Jamadagni came looking. When she found his headless body she wailed, beating her breast twenty-one times, calling out to their son Parashurama, who was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. 

Parashurama rushed to the spot and swore to travel around the world twenty-one times, killing all Kshatriyas he could find. (Some puranas say Renuka prayed to Sukra, who revived Sage Jamadagni by chanting the Mrtasanjivini mantra and then Shurasena, the son of Karthaviryarjuna, chopped off his head again and carried it away so that he could not be revived)

The enraged Parashurama went to the palace to retrieve the cow. He carried the axe given to him by Lord Shiva and confronted Kartaviryarjuna. In the conflict that ensued, Parashurama chopped off the thousand arms of Kartaviryarjuna and finally dealt a heavy blow on his neck.

Knowing he would not be able to survive, Kartaviryarjuna surrendered the Kamadhenu and its calf to Parashurama. He then asked to be moved to the temple of Rajarajeshwara, where he sought forgiveness for his acts to Lord Shiva. He realised that when he was fair and just, his Guru had given him everything but he had lost it all away due to his arrogance. He also realised that Lord Vishnu had come in the form of Parashurama to reclaim him. 

Before he returned to his maker, he sought a boon that he should always be remembered by his subjects. Lord Shiva gave him a boon that whenever anyone was in need of finding their lost property they would remember Kartaviryarjuna to do so and this is being followed till date. His soul then merged with the Lord.

Parashurama killing Kartaviryarjuna to avenge the death of his father
(Photo: Wikipedia -  Unknown author )

 The temple

The centuries-old temple has been revived and rebuilt by Queen Ahilya Bai Holkar. There are seperate shrines for Ganesha, Lord Shiva, Lord Rama, King Kartaviryarjuna, Guru Dattatreya, Suryanarayana and other small shrines. The ceiling has numerous little mirrors in it that the lights shine and reflect like jewels in the evening. There are twin Deepasthambas which are also lit in the evenings. Local say the shrine of King Sahasrabahu is also his samadhi and they worship there by offering flowers and fruits on the platform.

Suryanarayana shrine at the Rajarajeshwara temple

The eleven monolithic Akhanda Deepas

The most notable feature of the temple are the eleven ghee lamps (Akhanda Nanda Deepas) burning perpetually behind Lord Rajarajeshwara in the sanctum. They are believed to be burning from the time Kartaviryarjuna after he had started the practice over the heads and hands of Ravana. Donations of ghee from the devotees keep these lamps burning night and day. While seven lamps can be seen from outside, four more are seen with the help of a strategically placed mirror.

The shrine of Rajarajeswara with the Akhanda Deepas burning behind
Photo : Google

Festivals

Shukla Sapthami in the month of Karthigai is considered the birthday of Sahasrabahu Arjuna. The entire city of Maheshwar erupts into festivities during this time. Processions are taken out with his image and a great deal of pomp and show for three days, ending with a huge community feast.

Temple Timings

5 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 9 pm

Thanks to Mantra Yatra for organising this lovely visit to the Rajarajeshwara temple as part of their Magnificient Madhya Pradesh tour package. This is not a paid post.

Temples of Assam - Maa Kamakhya - Part II

This is the second part of the article on Maa Kamakhya temple in Assam. You can find the first part here.

The temple of Maa Kamakhya PC: Mr Suresh N S

Kamakhya, the Shakti Peeta where the Supreme Mother's Yoni fell, celebrates menstruation, a key prerequisite for motherhood through the Ambubachi Mela, which symbolises the annual period of menstruation of Maa Kamakhya.

Interestingly, while menstruation is still considered a taboo and stigma in some places, states where temples follow tantric worship, celebrate menstruation as a symbol of motherhood. The Goddesses themselves in these areas are shown as menstruating regularly so that any stigma attached to it is removed. The Ambubachi Mela in Assam, The Rajo Parba or Rajo Sankaranti in Orissa and the Thiruputharattu in Kerala all celebrate menstruation.

Ambubachi Mela

Among these, the Ambubachi Mela draws thousands of pilgrims across the world to Kamakhya to participate in this annual ritual which happens on the seventh day of the Ashada month (21st or 22nd of June). This time is also considered to be the time when Mother Earth is menstruating, getting her womb ready to receive the seeds and seedlings for a fertile and rich agricultural season. Therefore, in order to give her rest, all agricultural activity is prohibited during this time. Devotees of Maa Kamakhya do not eat cooked food during the three days that Ambubachi is celebrated. They do not comb their hair, walk heavily or place heavy things on the ground.

The Yoni Peeta at Maa Kamakhya P.C. Internet

Ambu means Water and Bachi means flowing. In preparation of Ambubachi, the Yoni Peeta is covered with around 300 metres of cloth, which is provided by the Pandas (priests) with their names marked on the cloth. This cloth remains on the Yoni Peeta for four days. It is called Angavastra and this white cloth turns completely red with the Mother's menses. On the fourth day, called the Shuddhi day, the priests collect the Angavastra with their eyes covered with cloth. They line up on the steps to the main sanctum to support the passing on of the Angavastra safely and securely back up. The priests then collect the now red coloured cloth amongst themselves and then offer small pieces as Prasad to the devotees they facilitate in the temple.

The Yoni Peeta is then given a ceremonial bath and this day is considered to be the most auspicious day to visit Kamakhya. Couples longing for child birth, young women with delayed start of menstruation or those suffering from menstrual disorders, make it a point to visit Kamakhya on this day to be relieved of their problems for ever. Lakhs and Lakhs of devotees and tantric practitioners arrive at Kamakhya during Ambubachi Mela. They meditate outside the temple, focussing on singing devotional songs or listening to the glory of Maa Kamakhya. The Peeta is said to turn most powerful during this time, as the Mother herself is resting and in meditation. Therefore, people throng here to receive that divine vibration around the temple.

Deodhani or Devadhwani Festival

A Deodhani dancer at Kamakhya PC. Maa Kamakhya Devalaya

Equally important is the Deodhani festival. Deodhani or Devadhwani means the voice of the Gods. During this three day festival to celebrate the serpant goddess, Manasa Devi, the daughter of Sage Kashyapa is worshipped to be saved from snake bites. She is also seen as the goddess of Kundalini and Yogic power. Chila Roy had been bestowed upon the power to relieve the mother of the Nawab of Bengal from snake bite and from then on, Manasa Puja started being celebrated in Kamakhya as the Deodhani festival. During this time, a pitcher is installed to represent Manasa Devi. This pitcher has water, decorated with mango leaves and a wood apple placed on top. Clay figures of snakes are also placed behind and around the pitcher.  

Deodhani dance is performed by selected dancers shouting slogans and dancing to the tune of Dhole and drums. During the festival that is celebrated in the month of August, these dancers get supernatural powers and if they predict anything, the prediction comes true. Devotees suffering from physical ailments visit the temple during this time, and when they follow the medication prescribed by the Deodhani dancers, they are cured of their ailments.

Those selected as Deodhani dancers have to see Goddess Kamakhya or Kali in their dreams a month before the festival. From then on, they undergo several religious exercises and rituals under the strict supervision of their priests. They spend the best part of the day in meditation when the supernatural powers are bestowed upon them. On the first day of the festival, they are anointed with oil, ghee and kumkum and wear hibiscus garlands. The dhoti they wear symbolises the goddess they represent. These deodhas dance on sharp edge of swords or jump over sharp swords in moments of heightened awareness. After three days and nights of dancing, the fourth day is called the Visarjan day when the garlands are thrown into the Sowbhagakunda. They take a ceremonial bath in the kunda and perform pujas. The sacrificial pitcher in which Manasa Devi has been installed is then immersed in the Kunda after which the divine power of the Deodhas is also lost and they regain their human nature.

Durga Puja

In Kamakhya, Durga Puja is celebrated differently from other places. Here, Durga Puja starts a fortnight earlier than the rest of India. Instead of an idol of Durga being made, an image of Durga is drawn on a coarse bamboo mat which is plastered with mud from Brahmaputra. Kalasa Prathista is done in front of the idol of Maa Kamakhya in the chamber above the sanctum. On the eighth day, bigs and animals are sacrificed. The swords that were used to sacrifice the animals and trident are worshipped on the ninth day and a human form made of flour is offered as Bali to the Goddess and on the tenth day, the meat of the burnt birds and rice is offered to the Devi. The painted mat image is then taken in procession and immersed in Brahmaputra.

Devi in Kamakhya temple 

Kumari Puja

Kumari Puja is performed by a lot of devotees at Kamakhya, because it is believed that it is the easiest way to get the blessings of Maa Kamakhya. It is particularly performed by those who are seeking marriage, childbirth, defeat of their enemies or prosperity. The origin of Kumari Puja dates back to the time when Lord Vishnu was performing Kali Puja by chanting the powerful Kali Beeja Mantra 10,008 times. Suddenly an Asura named Kolasura appeared from Vishnu's heart. He started torturing all the Devas and Rishis. Unable to tolerate his torture, the Devas approached Goddess Kali. She assumed the form of a young adolescent girl (Kumari) and approached Kolasura and asked for food. The asura gave her some food to eat. The Kumari finished the food in a jiffy and asked for more. Kolasura kept giving her food but it was just not enough. Finally, Kolasura asked the Kumari to take what she pleased. She immediately ate up everything around including the Asura, thereby putting an end to him.

Usually, Kumari Puja is performed on the children of the Pandas. They are offered alta, flowers, fruits, sweets and other cosmetic items, their feet are cleansed by those performing the puja, and the priest chants mantras to please the Kumari. At the end of the Puja, the Kumari blesses those who are performing the Puja and Prasad comprising of flowers, fruits and sweets offered to the Kumari are returned to the devotees who take them home and consume them.

Dasa Mahavidya Shrines

Dasa Mahavidyas

Apart from Maa Kamakhya, there are shrines for the Dasa Mahavidyas in and around the temple. Kamakhya is the only temple in the world where the Dasa Mahavidya shrines are found.

1. Kali - The Kali Peeta is located next to the stairway in the Kamakhya temple. There is no idol here but Kali is worshipped as the tantra that is recited. The special day to worship Maa Kali is Saturday.

2. Tara Devi - She is also called Vak Devi or Nila Saraswathi. Her idol had been installed by Sage Vashista in the crematorium of Kamakhya and was brought to the temple complex by Acharya Brahmananda Giri. She is shown standing on a pyre and is depicted with three eyes and four hands, holding swords, a human head and water lily. She is worshipped on Thursdays.

3. Sodasi - The main deity of the temple when worshipped on Wednesdays as a deity of the planet Budha is called Sodasi.

4. Bhairavi - The Bhairavi in Kamakhya is worshipped as Tripura Bhairavi. She is worshipped on Sundays. Since Lord Shiva is also found here, Shiva Puja is also performed here. She is dressed in a red garment, with a machete, japamala, book and abhaya hasta in her four hands.

5. Bhuvaneswari - The Bhuvaneswari temple is found on top of the Nilachala Hill. She is the deity of planet Sukra nad hence worshipped on Fridays. She is also called Rajarajeswari. Childless couples go up the hill to worship her on Fridays to be bestowed with children.

6. Chinnamasta - Chinnamasta is headless and found in a fearsome form of holding her cut head in her left hand and drinking the blood springing from her body. She is shown wearing a garland of human heads and standing on Manmatha and Rati held in an embrace. Her temple is found in a Kunda about fifteen feet below the ground and can be reached through a steep and narrow flight of stairs. She is worshipped on Wednesdays.

7. Dhumavati - This temple is to the South of the Kamakhya temple. She is worshipped on Thursdays. She is found in the form of a widow, with dirty clothes and droopy eyes. She has three eyes and four hands holding weapons and a large, ugly nose.

8. Bagala Devi - Bagala Devi is the presiding deity of Mars and hence is worshipped on Tuesdays. Goats, buffalo, duck, pigeons and pumpkins are sacrificed to her.

9. Matangi - Matangi is also known as Saraswathi - She is worshipped on Sundays and during Durga Puja. She is found next to Maa Kamakhya in the form of a stone within the main Garbagriha.

10. Kamala - Kamala is worshipped on Mondays as she is the deity for Chandra (Moon). She does not have a seperate Pitha and is worshipped in the form of a stone next to Maa Kamakhya.

Visiting Kamakhya:

Despite Kamakhya being such a powerful, must visit temple, visiting it is not simple and easy. There are three types of Darshan queues - Free, Rs.501 and VIP. The queue for free darshan starts at around 3 am while the temple opens at 8 for darshan. Between 6 and 8 only the priests are allowed inside the temple. As soon as the temple opens, the first 200 people in the free queue are allowed darshan after which the other queues move. The 501 rupee ticket should ideally be available online. There are two slots 7.30 - 11.30 and then from 2 - 3.30 pm. The tickets can be booked for a block of a week in advance but one would find that the tickets are never available for booking. Therefore, most of the time, one has to approach a Panda (priest) for these tickets. Obviously, they charge a premium - double, triple or even four times, depending on the day of the week and crowd in the temple. The VIP queue is ideally for VIPs but one can get into that too, depending on the premium one is willing to pay.

Offerings awaiting devotees

Darshan can take anything between four to twelve hours, depending on the line and the queue on that day. This is because only a few people can enter the sanctum at a time and only when they come up the next set of people can be admitted below. Initially the queue for the 500 rupees ticket begins behind the temple. From there the queue snakes up to a waiting hall with chairs. People wearing headbands with Maa Kamakhya's name, carrying garlands of hibiscus and other offerings, wait patiently in the queue and then enter the waiting hall.

Waiting Hall (PC: Mantra Yatris)

From the waiting hall, one moves into a closed enclosure which forms the main queue that leads to the sanctum. There are three parallel queues here: The extreme left is the Rs.501 rupee queue, the middle one is the VIP queue and the extreme right one, the free queue. There are seats here to one side, so those unable to stand can sit and move in the queue. Two lines get formed here, depending on the crowd and therefore, it can be quite stuffy and a long wait here. 

Queue to main sanctum

Once the queue moves we reach the end of a corridor from where we move towards the mandap that is above the main sanctum. Here there are several idols, including the metal statue of Maa Kamakhya that is covered in flowers. People who pay for special poojas are seated here and poojas performed by the Pandas. Offerings like flowers and cloth that are taken are offered to the idol here. 

Then you brace yourselves for the final descend to witness Maa Kamakhya. It is a dark cave where one or more priests are also sitting. Therefore, one has to be quick to scoop the water from the spring and drink it and then pray to Maa Kamakhya and two of the Dasamahavidyas - namely Matangi and Kamala or Saraswati and Lakshmi in simple terms. Since the pathway to come out of the sanctum is the same as the entry, be quick, careful and safe as you make your way up. You can get flowers and a little bit of the Angavastra adorned on Maa Kamakhya during Ambubachi as prasad.

Some tips for visiting:

Panels at the temple

• Once you reach Kamakhya, do some research on the crowd for the next day and plan your visit accordingly.
• Try to identify a Panda prior to your visit so that the tickets can be arranged on your behalf. The Panda can also help to perform any pujas and give you flowers and the anga vastra prasad.
• Brace yourself for a long wait. Carry adequate water, snacks etc.
• They do not allow big bags into the temple. So keep your belongings in a small bag.
• There are shops outside to leave your slippers. These shops do not expect you to buy stuff.
• Once you get down to the main sanctum, understand it would be dark and your eyes will take a couple of minutes to adjust. By then, you will automatically be moved forward by the crowd. 
• So be alert and quick. The spring is right before the Yoni Pitha. One can easily miss if not looking for it. 
• Bend down quickly and scoop the water to drink. Some people carry small koojas (sold outside) to collect the water. 
• The Yoni Pitha is covered with cloth and flowers so nothing much is visible. 
• If you have missed drinking from the spring, then you cannot come closer to it on your return.
• Once you head back up, do not forget to collect flowers and the Angavastra cloth of the Goddess.
• Some of the Dasa Mahavidya shrines are within the temple complex and the others outside.
• There are special days for worship, as I have mentioned above.
• Some of the shrines are a test to physical fitness, so think before undertaking the visits.

Despite all the delay and difficulties, a darshan of Maa Kamakhya is a life time experience, that should not be missed.

Acknowledgements: The Mysterious History of Kamakhya by Parimal Kumar Datta, The Maa Kamakhya Devalaya, and Mr Suresh N S for use of some photographs.

Temples of Assam - Part 1 - Maa Kamakhya

Maa Kamakhya Temple, Assam

Kamakhya had been an elusive, dream destination for many years now. It finally became possible to visit Her, thanks to a trip organised by Balaji Davey & Mantra Yatra. For long, I had been enamoured by the divinity and mystery that shrouded Kamakhya. From stories my father has narrated about his multiple visits and to what I had read and watched over the years, there was a constant desire fuelling me to visit Kamakhya, something that had not happened with the other Shakti Peeths.

The Shakti Peetas

Sati, also called Dakshayani, the daughter of Daksha Prajapati, was the first wife of Shiva. When Sati married Shiva against Daksha's wishes, he was upset and did not invite Shiva to a yagna performed by him. Angered by this act of her father, Sati went to the Yagna to seek justice where she is humiliated. She returned to Shiva, who was angry that his wife did not heed his words when he asked her not to go. Sati immolated herself (from where performing Sati got its name). Shiva roamed around with her body. In order to stop him, Vishnu cut down Sati's body into 52 parts with his Sudharshana Chakra. The places where the body parts fell, are known as the Shakti Peetas. 

Out of these, there are four which are known as the Adi Shakthi Peetas, the holiest of them all. They are the Vimala Devi temple within the Puri Jagannath Complex, where the feet of Sati fell, Tara Tarini Temple in Ganjam District of Orissa where the breasts fell, Kamakhya where the Yoni fell and Dakshineswar Kalighat Mandir in Kolkata where the toes of the right leg fell.

The remaining 48 Shakti Peetas are spread across Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

A map of the Shakti Peetas (Courtesy: Wikipedia)

Assam was originally known as Pragjyothishapura which essentially means "Eastern Light". The name Pragjyotisa finds mention in the Mahabharata and Ramayana. The name was changed to Kamarupa during the times of Naraka, the king of Mithila. The name Assam came about through Shan invaders who became the rulers of the entire North-Eastern region including China, and came to be known as Asam, or later as Ahom, which name holds to date. 

The name Kamarup and the legend of Kamadeva or Manmatha

After Sati's death, Lord Shiva lost interest in the charm of life. At that time, Tarakasura attacked Indraloka. Powered by a boon from Brahma, he was able to dethrone Indhra, The defeated Devas approached Brahma for a solution. Brahma knew that only a son of Shiva would be able to kill Taraka. He suggested that if Shiva made Parvathi, the daughter of Himavan, and a reincarnation of Sati, his consort, then a son born of them would be the solution to the misery the Devas were going through.

However, the challenge was to get Shiva interested in Parvati. The Devas sought the help of Kamadeva, also known as Manmatha. Kamadeva, accompanied by his wife Rati, and Vasanta Ritu (Spring Season) approached Shiva who was in deep meditation. He strung his sugarcane bow with the Mohana arrow - the floral arrow of desire, and hit directly at Shiva's heart. Immediately, Shiva opened his eyes and demonstrated desire for Parvati who emerged from a cave nearby. But soon enough, he was able to regain composure. His anger turned towards Kamadev for disturbing his penance, and he burnt him down, by opening his third eye. Rati, distraught by the loss of her husband, smeared his ashes on her body, and cried bitterly to Shiva to bring him back to life, for he had only acted in common good. Shiva agreed to revive Kama, but not with a physical body, but as Ananga, formless, and only visible to Rati. 

The place where the revival of Kama took place, is known as Madan Kamdev, commonly known as the Khajuraho of Assam. It is about 40 kms from Guwahati, and is home to the ruins of around twenty temples dedicated to Lord Shiva.There is also the cave from where Parvati emerged near the ruins. Since Kamadev came back to life here, the place came to be known as Kamarupa or Kamrup as it is known now.

Erotic miniature sculptures in the ruins of Madan Kamdev

Maa Kamakhya

The temple of Maa Kamakhya (Photo Courtesy: Suresh N S)

The temple of Maa Kamakhya is located on the Nilachal Hills, at a height of 180 metres and about 20 kms from the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati. The temple built around a sanctum where the Yoni of Sati is believed to have fallen, is said to have been originally built by Viswakarma on the instructions of Lord Shiva and supervised by Kamadeva. This was rebuilt by Narakasura. When this was destroyed it was rebuilt by Visva Singha. And when the temple was destroyed by Kalapahar, some say damaged due to earthquake in the 13th century, it was rebuilt and expanded into the version we see today by King Naranarayana as explained by inscriptions.

The temple has a unique Nilachal style beehive like Vimana, with multiple panels showing gods and goddesses on the outside. The main Garbagriha of the temple housing Maa Kamakhya in the form of a rock fissure shaped like a Yoni is within a cave which is two and half metres below the ground level.  It is a small and dark cave where only few people can stand at a time. The fissure slopes on both sides to form a Vagina like depression which is about ten inches deep. There is a natural underground spring from which water perennially flows from the Yoni and the devotees scoop up the water and drink it as Prasad. Every year, during Ambubachi mela, the Goddess is believed to menstruate when the water in this spring as well as in the Brahmaputra river at the foot of the Nilachal turns red.  The Goddess is seen here as Tripura Sundari - right next to Maa Kamakhya are depictions of Lakshmi and Saraswathi. 

The beautiful Nilachal style architecture of the temple

In the chamber above the Garbagriha, there is a small idol of Goddess Kamakhya, hardly visible within the mound of flowers that cover it. There are also sculptures of King Naranarayana, and other deities. Mother Kamakhya is shown as a young girl of sixteen years, with twelve hands and six heads. She is seen with three eyes, wearing red clothes and garlands of hibiscus. In her ten arms, she holds several weapons and a bowl in her main left hand and Abhaya mudra in her main right hand. She is seen sitting on a lotus that is emerging from the navel of Shiva who is seen as a corpse lying on a lion. The Goddess's right leg is placed on the chest of Shiva. Brahma and Vishnu are seen on either side of her, both seated in lotuses.

Iconography of Maa Kamakhya

The Legend of Narakasura and Kamakhya

Narakasura was born to Bhoomadevi (Mother Earth) and Vishnu in his Varaha Avatara. During his childhood, his mother assumed the name of Katyayani and took him to Mithila, and King Janaka took care of him like his own son. When he turned sixteen, his mother took him to the banks of the Ganges and narrated the story of his birth to him. She then invoked upon Lord Vishnu, who appeared before them and brought them to Pragjyothisapura. At that time, it was ruled by the Kiratas. Naraka fought with Ghataka, the king of the Kiratas and defeated him. He then took over as the King of Pragjyothisapura. 

Pleased, Vishnu offered him his powerful weapon named Shakthi with the condition that Naraka should not use it on any human being, failing which his life would be in danger. He further instructed him to always worship Mother Kamakhya, who would safeguard and protect him. However, as fate would have it, Naraka developed friendship with Banasura, who dissuaded him from worshipping Maa Kamakhya. Slowly, Naraka started getting influenced by him and became irregular in his worship. 

Banasura was the son of Mahabali and the grandson of Prahlada. He was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. His daughter Usha, dreamt of Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna and fell in love with him. Her friend Chitralekha helped her identify her lover by painting various princes and then abducted Aniruddha for her friend. When Banasura came to know of this, he built a fort surrounded by fire known as Agnigarh to this day, and asked Lord Shiva to guard it. Soon enough, a battle ensued between Krishna and Shiva to rescue Aniruddha. In the battle, Krishna chopped off all the extra hands of Banasura to destroy his pride and all was well, when Aniruddha and Usha were married in the end. The Agnigarh fort stands to date in Tezpur, Assam with the Mahabhairav temple where Shiva stood guard as the Kshetrapalaka and Rudrapada temple, which has the foot mark of Shiva when he revealed himself to Banasura.

Aniruddha, Usha and Chitralekha depicted in Agnigarh

Now coming back to Naraka, he was so emboldened by the advice of Banasura, that he stopped believing she was the Supreme Mother and sought the hand of Maa Kamakhya in marriage. The goddess agreed to marry him provided he constructed a pathway from the foot of the Nilachala hill to the temple of Maa Kamakhya over night. Naraka deployed his best men to get this done. As the road started getting laid across the hill, the goddess sent a cock to crow early to give an impression that it had dawned. Angered, Naraka chased the cock and killed it. The place where this happened is to this day called Kukurakata meaning "the place where the cock was killed".

One day, Sage Vashista came to Kamakhya to worship Maa Kamakhya. However, Naraka did not let him in, saying that the pooja of Maa Kamakhya was going on. Angered, Vashista cursed Naraka that he would die at the hands of his father Lord Vishnu who would assume a human form in Dwapara Yuga. He also cursed Maa Kamakhya that she would be hidden in the Yonichakra and no one would get her blessings despite worshipping her. Maa Kamakhya went to Kailash and sought help from Lord Shiva who reinstalled her in Kamakhya, thereby breaking the curse of Vashista.

Lord Shiva and Maa Kamakhya

In the meantime, Naraka became powerful and fearless. He attacked the earth and the heaven alike and defeated Indra, and took away the earrings of his mother Athiti. Unable to bear his torture, the Devas, Rishis and saints approached Krishna who came to Pragjyothisapura which had by then been renamed as Kamarupa by Naraka along with Sathyabhama and after a fierce battle, Naraka was killed. At the time of his death, he sought a boon from Lord Vishnu that he wanted his death in the hands of his father, to be celebrated by all the people with new clothes, bursting of crackers, feast and festivities and this was the genesis of the Diwali festival. Krishna granted Naraka the boon he sought and placed Bhagadutta, his son on the throne of Kamarupa.

The legend of Biswa Singha and Nara Narayana

Biswa Singha was the founder of the Koch Bihar Dynasty in the 16th century. He was able to unite all the Bodo tribes and establish a dynasty. Once, when he was fighting the Ahoms, he and his brother lost their way in the heavy rains and darkness which destroyed their camp and found themselves go up the Nilachala Hill where they saw a light under a tree and an old lady who was worshipping a mound. When the tired and thirsty men asked for water, the old lady gave them water from a spring. The men enquired who she was worshipping for which she replied that the mound was the greatest among the Pithas and the temple around it had been destroyed over time. Biswa Singha promised to construct a temple of gold to the Pitha. He dropped three reeds and a ring in the spring and said he would believe in the goddess if he found them in the Ganga in Varanasi.

Years rolled by and Biswa Singha with the grace of Maa Kamakhya established a strong empire. He had forgotten all about the Mother and his promise. During a visit to Varanasi, when he took a dip in the Ganges he came up with the reeds and the ring he had dropped at Nilachala. That was when he remembered his promise. When he discussed with his courtiers, they told him several legends and miracles about Maa Kamakhya. Soon enough, the construction of the temple began, but since it was being done with brick, it kept breaking down. Biswa Singha did not have enough gold to build a temple, so he sought guidance from the Mother herself who appeared in his dream and said if he were to include one grain of gold in every brick, the temple will come up soon and so it did.

After his time, his son Nara Narayana took over the throne by overpowering his younger brother who had usurped it as soon as his father died. Another brother Sukladhvaja, popularly known as Chila Roy became his commander-in-chief. Once when they were away fighting the Ahoms, Kalapahar, the commander of the Nawab of Bengal attacked and destroyed the Kamakhya temple. When the brothers returned and saw the demolished temple, they decided to build it back after defeating the Nawab. However, they lost in war and Chila Roy was captured. While in prison, he repented for not having prioritized the reconstruction of the temple and wept. Maa Kamakhya appeared in his dream, and told him that the Nawab's mother would be bitten by a snake that the palace physicians would not be able to cure, and if he chanted the Maa's Mahamantra, he could save her life. Chila Roy did as suggested and in gratitude, the Nawab set him free.

The temple as we see now built by Naranarayana

He came back and narrated the tale to his brother and the two then decided to rebuild the temple which they did in six months. They had a grand inauguration, worshipped the mother daily and ensured day to day poojas and maintenance took place. The temple had a priest called Kendukalai who was an ardent devotee of Maa Kamakhya. Every evening during aarti, he would sign and dance and invite the Mother to dance with him and she would. She however, forbade him from sharing this with anyone. However, soon enough, Naranarayana came to know of this, and wanted to witness the Mother. So he asked Kendukalai to let him in when the dance happened. Kendukalai refused, fearing the wrath of the Mother. However, the king was insistent and he could not refuse. So, one day the king hid himself behind a pillar. When the priest invited Maa Kamakhya to dance with him, she started dancing but soon realised Naranarayana was watching. 

She was furious and beheaded Kendukalai for his betrayal. She forbade Naranarayana to never set foot into her temple and ordered that he and all his descendants should not even look up towards the temple, let along visit. This curse is still in force and no one in the king's lineage has since visited the temple or even looked up in that direction.

Acknowledgements: The Mysterious History of Kamakhya by Parimal Kumar Datta & Mr Suresh NS for kindly allowing me to use some of his photographs.

Part 2 - Here is the link to Part 2 of the article which contains the following

Ambubachi Mela - the celebration of Maa Kamakhya's menstruation

Deodhani and Durga Puja

Kumari Puja at Kamakhya

The Dasa Mahavidhyas and days to worship them

What a visit to Kamakhya entails

Some Tips for a Kamakhya visit 

Stay Tuned!

Kolavamana Perumal, Sikkal

The Kolavamana Perumal Temple at Sikkal prior to Kumbabhishekam

Every year, through Aalayam Kanden Trust, we write and publish the Sthalapuram of a lesser known temple to enable it to gain visitors and patrons. Recently, multiple temples in Nagapattinam had their consecration, so when Subash, a heritage enthusiast in Nagapattinam who has been doing very committed work in documenting the temples there, requested if we could help print the collective Sthalapuranam book he had authored on Nagai Temples, we willingly agreed.

The books were released on Maasi Maham day at the Kayarohaneswarar Temple and the Sikkal Singaravelar shrine. While visiting the Sikkal temple, Subash took us to the Kolavamana Perumal temple within the same complex. Even though I had visited the Sikkal temple a few times before, had not had an opportunity to visit this temple. 

Release of the book Nagai Aalayangal at Sikkal Singaravelar shrine

That's probably because the temple is more popularly known for Lord Muruga, who is called Singaravelar here.  Sikkalil Vel Vaangi Chenduril Samharam, they say. This phrase used during Kandha Sashti, describes the granting of Shakti Vel by Goddess Velnedumkanni (Parvathi) to her son Singaravelar to enable him to perform the samharam of Surapadma. Even to this day, the beading of sweat on the idol of Singaravelar for a few hours after receiving the Shakthi Vel (Spear), is a divine ethereal experience that attracts thousands of devotees annually. 

Apart from Lord Navaneetheswarar and Singara Velar, there is a seperate temple for Lord Kolavamana Perumal. This co-existence of Vaishnavaite and Saivaite shrines with Navaneetheswarar, Velnedumkanni, Singaravelar, Kolavamana Perumal and Varada Anjaneyar makes it a unique power centre, capable of answering all fair prayers of devotees.  

The temple complex after consecration

Sthalapuranam through inscriptions

Usually, temple inscriptions would speak about grants given by kings and their subjects towards various activities of the temple. They might include government orders too. However, it is rare to find inscriptions that describe the Sthalapuranam of the temple. Here, we find an inscription with a Shloka that describes how Lord Vishnu came here and its reference in the Skanda Puranam. This inscription has been featured in Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy - 102/1911 and has been further elaborated in Nagai Maavatta Kalvettugal published by the State Archaeology Department of Tamil Nadu.

The Shloka is as follows:

स्वस्ति श्री स्कन्दपुराणे कालिकाखण्डे तीर्थसंहितायां

वसिष्ठाश्रम माहात्म्ये मल्लिकारण्य क्षेत्रप्रभावम् आरभ्यते।

श्लोकः:

दया या दक्षिणगया यां यो वा श्राद्धं प्रकर्तव्यति।

षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि गया श्राद्धे न यत्फलम्॥

तत्फलं समवाप्नोति नात्र कार्यविचारणम्।

गया पश्चिमदिक्भागे देवदेवाति वन्दिता।

माधवो वासमाक्रान्तो गया माधव इत्यभिः॥

The shloka translates as follows:

This is an excerpt from the Theertha Samhita in Kalika Kanda of Skanda Puranam which describes the Vashistashrama Mahatmya in the Mallikaranya Kshetra. This description is said to have been given by Lord Shiva to Kamadhenu, the celestial cow. Affected by a severe drought that lasted twelve years, Kamadhenu fed upon the carcass of a dog, as it could not find any grass to feed upon. This angered Lord Shiva, and he cursed it to acquire the face of a tiger. Repentant and ashamed, Kamadhenu sought a remedy. Lord Shiva asked her to go to Bhooloka and perform penance in a Jasmine forest.  

List of temples where Shiva and Vishnu co-exist mentioned in the temple

He further described the Mallikaranyam (Jasmine Forest) as below:

This place is known as Dakshina Gaya and anyone performing Sraadham (annual rites of ancestors) here with compassion will attain the merit of having performed Sraadham in Gaya for sixty thousand years. There is no doubt about it. In the Western part of this Gaya, resides Lord Madhava and hence it is also known as Gaya Madhava. Kamadhenu reached the Mallikaranyam, worshipped Lord Gaya Madhava also known as Kolavamana Perumal, bathed in the pond near Sage Vashista's hermitage and started performing penance. And soon, her tiger face disappeared. Overjoyed, Kamadhenu bathed in the pond and offered her thanks to the Lord. Her milk filled the pond,  turning it into a Ksheera Pushkarni. Sage Vashista churned the butter to make a Shivalinga. He placed it on the banks of the Pushkarni and started worshipping it. After his prayers were over, when he tried to remove the lingam he found that it had turned to stone (கல்) and stuck  firmly (சிக்) to the ground. Therefore, the place came to be known as Sikkal and the Lord Navaneetheswarar or Vennai Piraan. Sage Vashista also made a Krishna idol out of the butter and worshipped it. Lord Krishna wanting to reside in this holy place came to the Mallikaranyam and ate the butter Krishna. Shocked, Sage Vashista started chasing him. Krishna ran towards what is known today as Thirukkannankudi, one of the five Krishnaranya Kshetrams and got bound by the love and affection of the sages worshipping him there. He continues to shower his grace upon devotees from there.

Kola Vamana Perumal Utsavar

How did Lord Kolavamana Perumal come here originally?

Thirumangai Alwar who has done the Mangalasasanam of the Thirukannangudi temple has also described the Vamana Avatara that originated at Sikkal in one of his pasurams. Therefore, this temple  serves as an Abhimana Sthalam of Thirukkannankudi divya desam.

Mahabali, the Asura king and grandson of Prahalada, was a just king loved by his subjects. At one point, he acquired Amrut, the eternal nectar that could bring Asuras back to life when they were defeated and killed by the Devas. Using the Amrut, King Mahabali slowly spread his kingdom all over the earth and skies. This made the Devas run from pillar to post, attempting to save themselves and their territories. They appealed to Lord Vishnu to save them from Mahabali. They pleaded that without his intervention, the Devas would soon become extinct.

Lord Vishnu was now in a difficult situation. On one hand, King Mahabali was a good king and more importantly his devotee. On the other hand, the Devas had approached him as the lender of last resort and he could not refuse them. So he came down to the Mallikaranyam, created a theertham called Gaya Theertham and started meditating to find the right solution to put an end to Mahabali. Soon, Lord Shiva appeared before him and with his advice, Vishnu took the form of Vamana, the dwarf. He approached King Mahabali, who was performing the Ashwamedha Yagna to declare himself as the Emperor of the World and the Skies, and in the process was giving away grants to those who visited him. 

Kolavamana Perumal in Raja Alankaram

Vamana sought three steps of land to which Mahabali immediately agreed, even though his guru Sukracharya tried to prevent him. Vamana assumed Vishwaroopa, and measured the earth with one step and the skies with the second. When he asked Mahabali where to place the third step, the King graciously offered his head. Vamana's foot sent him crushing to Patala Loka. Pleased with his devotion, and for honouring his promise despite knowing it would bring about his end, Lord Vishnu agreed to grant Mahabali a boon. He sought to return to his kingdom once a year, and the day is celebrated as  Onam festival with great pomp and glory, even to this day. 

Another version of the story says that Mahabali wanted Lord Vishnu to stay with him in Paathala Loka, for which Vishnu agreed to do so for four months in a year, which denotes the Chaturmasya period.

Lord Kolavamana Perumal (Photo Courtesy: The temple)

Since Lord Vishnu manifested in the Vamana form here, he came to be known as Kolavamana Perumal.  After Kolavamana Perumal came to Sikkal, Goddess Lakshmi, unable to stay alone in Vaikuntha without her Lord, came here too, and created the Lakshmi Theertham and prayed to Lord Kolavamana Perumal to be united with him. Answering her prayers, the Lord requested her to stay here and grant the wishes of their devotees as Komalavalli Thayar. Till this day, young men who are desirous of getting a good bride, or those boys whose wedding prayers are getting delayed, come here and worship Kolavamana Perumal and Komalavalli Thayar, and soon enough, just like how Goddess Lakshmi came looking for her partner, good matrimonial alliances come looking for these boys. 

 

Komalavalli Thayar in Gajalakshmi Alankaram (Photo Courtesy: The Temple)

Varada Anjaneyar found in a seperate shrine opposite to Kolavamana Perumal is extremely popular among devotees who offer Kattamudhu after their prayers have been answered. The temple has recently been consecrated. The rustic look and the multiple wall paintings are all gone, replaced with gary oil paints. 

Sri Varada Anjaneyar

I have a habit of  taking vastrams for the deities of any temple I have the opportunity to visit. Normally, the priests would either place the vastrams at the feet of the deity or around the shoulders and one really has to be satisfied with that. However, here, the priests so patiently adorned the vastrams to the Utsavar vigrahams while we were there which was a truly goosebumps moment for me. 

Inscriptions:

There are a total of eight inscriptions that have been recorded here, out of which two are from the Kolavamana Perumal temple. Two others from the Navaneetheswara temple, describe the Sthalapuranam as mentioned above and also about all those who worshipped here to get the grace of the deities. Inscription No.103/1911, mentions this Kshetram as Gaya Saras and Deva Sannithyam. It further mentions that Arasa Maram (Peepal Tree), Paal Kulam (Milk Pond), Aala Maram (Banyan Tree), Surabhi, King Muchukunda, Sages Vishwamitra, Vashista, Narada, Gauthama, Katyayana and Agasthya worshipped here.

Inscription 100/1911 mentions that in 1447, Lakkana Dandanayaka, the Senapathi of the Vijayanagara King Mallikarjuna Raya (Deva Raya III) who called himself Dakshina Samudradhipati, found that Sitrrayanallur village, that had been given as Thiruvidaiyattam (land given to a temple from which the tax revenue could be used directly by the temple for its operations) was far away from the temple and hence he replaced it with fertile lands that were irrigated by the Nallan Pillai Petral Eri in Sikkal of Gayamanicka Valanadu which was an Usavadi (sub-division) of Cholamandalam. Inscription 101/1911 states that a person named Ayar Pillai, a native of Mangalam converted this temple into a granite structure. 

Festivals:

All Vaishnavaite festivals are celebrated here with pomp and glory. Specially Mohini Avatharam on the sixth day of Margazhi, Gajendra Moksham, Vaikunda Ekadesi, Vijaya Dasami, Hanumad Jayanthi, Puratasi Saturday and Gokulashtami. The temple has a lovely Instagram page where all the utsavams are comprehensively covered.

New Pasuram for Kolavamana Perumal:

Diwakara Tanujaha, is blessed to create pasurams in the same meter as the alwars and has been creating pasurams for lesser known Perumal temples. A collection of his pasurams along with description of the Sthalapuranams of some such temples was brought out by us in 2019 as a publication titled "Paadal Perum Paranthaman Aalayangal" . When I shared this article with him, he immediately came up with this very beautiful yet succinct pasuram on Kolavamana Perumal, set in the same meter as Thirumangai Alwar's Thirukannangudi pasuram describing the Vamana Avataram.

எழுசீர்க் கழி நெடிலடி ஆசிரிய விருத்தம்

உம்பரான் உண்ட உறுபுரை ஒளிய

.. உற்பவி பாற்குளத் திழுதின்

தம்பிரா னோடும் இளங்கிளை மருகன்

.. தக்கசொல் தூதுவன் சூழ

நம்பினா ருக்கு நன்மணம் வீச

.. நறுவிணர் மல்லிகை வனத்தில்

எம்பிரான் கோல வாமனன் என்றே

.. இலங்கினான் கோமளத் தானே

Meaning - உம்பரான் (celestial cow - Kamadhenu), உறுபுரை - wrong deed, இழுதின் தம்பிரான் - Lord Shiva made of butter, Navaneetheswara, இளங்கிளை -  younger sister of Lord Vishnu - Velnedumkanni, மருகன் - Nephew - Singaravelar

Our sincere thanks to Shri Diwakara Tanujaha for this effort and for beautifying Sri Kolavamana Perumal with his choicest words.

How to reach here:

Sikkal is around 4 kms from Nagapattinam town, enroute to Tiruvarur. The GPS coordinates are 10.7566969,79.7964928.

Temple Timings:

6.30 am to 12 pm, 5 - 8.30 pm

Contact Details:

Shri Balaji Bhattar - 96556 97885

Acknowledgements:

I thank Mr Subash Chandran, Nagapattinam and the Kolavamana Perumal temple for allowing me to use their images for this article.