Tracing the ancient origins of Kamakhya through millennia
The land of Kamrup, characterized by its beautiful landscape of hills and wetlands, the mighty river Brahmaputra, rich natural resources and lush vegetation has played an important role in the history and evolution of a unique religious tradition and culture. On the Nilachala hills (Kamakhya Hill) in the Guwahati area, the peetha of the Devi Kamakhya is located, surrounded by the Mahavidyas, other Goddesses, Pancha Shivas, Mahakala & Dwarpala Ganeshas, Vishnu, other deities, sacred ponds and numerous sacred sites.
Devi Kamakhya in the form of one of the Dasa Mahavidyas is worshipped as Tripura Sundari or Sodasi. Devi Kamakhya is also called bhagavati, who possesses bhaga or the yoni, the creative force, and is worshiped in the form of a rock (the peetha) inside a dark cave (the garbhagriha), perpetually wet from a stream of water.
The history of Kamakhya Temples' Complex is obscure and inter-mixed with inadequate historical records, oral history, mythological texts, legends, folk-lore, etc. till the advent of the Koch Kingdom.
Mythologically, Krishna crowned Naraka as the king of Pragjyotisha and assigned the responsibility of looking after the worship and maintenance of Devi Kamakhya and Nilachala to him. Some scholars suggest that the reign of king Naraka could be from 2200–2169 BC. Hence, we may arrive at a cautious conclusion that king Naraka possibly existed and the Kamakhya temple was shining with pride and glory during 2200 BC on the Nilachal Hills.
The earliest traceable reference of Kamakhya temple can be found in the epic Mahabharata (300 BCE–300 CE). In one section, it is mentioned that the Pancha-Pandavas after the years of agyatavas (period of unidentifiable living during exile), came to Nilachala, took their ceremonial bath in the river Lauhitya (river Brahmaputra) and worshipped Goddess Kamakhya. A sacred site named Pandunath located in the north-west direction of the Nilachala hills still bears testimony to this visit.
According to some published documents, the Kamakhya Temple existed on the hill during 4th–5th Century AD. The Umachala Rock Inscription from the 5th Century AD records that a cave temple was constructed by king Surendravermen.
The department of Geo-sciences, Gauhati University conducted a radio carbon isotope age determination exercise. The result revealed two layers below the floor of the temple: the bottom layer is 2200 years old and the second layer is 1500 years old. This provides significant evidence that the Kamakhya temple is more than 2200 years old — a temple stood on this site as early as 200 BC, and an attempt was made to rebuild around the 5th Century AD.
Biswasingha (1515–1540 AD), the first king of the Koch dynasty, re-built the upper part of the original temple at Kamakhya. In 1553 AD, the temple was destroyed by the invading Muslim commander Kalapahar in his crusade against Hindu temples.
King Naranarayana (1540–1587 AD) started rebuilding the present temple in 1555 AD and completed it in 1565 AD. He engaged architect Meghamukdam, who tried to rebuild the dome twice with original stone blocks but failed. Finally, Meghamukdam built the dome in the shape of a beehive with bricks.
Under the rule of the Ahom dynasty during the 17th–19th century AD, the Kamakhya temple and surrounding temples' complex expanded and flourished, with a considerable number of temples re-built, constructed and renovated for the Mahavidyas, various forms of Shiva, Ganesha and other deities.
The Kamakhya Temples' Complex is one of the world's most important sites of goddess worship. As a pilgrimage center for Hindus, Buddhists, and practitioners of various streams of Tantrism from time immemorial, a uniquely syncretic religious culture has developed.
The rituals and festivals celebrated are distinctive and unique — the result of hundreds of years of socio-cultural and religious evolution, assimilation and syncretism. The current tradition, with the systems of homa (oblations), puja (worship), kriya (rituals), bali (sacrifice), and associating of natural elements represents a complex negotiation between orthodox and heterodox systems.
The socio-religious systems are by nature very tolerant and secular. All devotees, irrespective of caste, creed, belief, nationality, ethnicity, gender, or religious affiliation, are allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of all the temples for darshan and worship. All devotees are encouraged to touch the Peethas and offer their prayers.