KAMAKHYA TEMPLE
Kamakhya temple is located in Nilachal hills in Gawahati, Assam. I visited this temple on the first day after landing from flight at Gawahati. The temple closes usually by 5.30 pm. The travel up the Nilachal hills is a 20 mins drive. The road up the hills is a forest zone with many bends. It felt like breathing fresh air and an inner calling to raise up to see the lady of might sitting on top. I reached the temple watching the sun clock saying 4 pm after a long one-hour drive.
It is the most important Hindu temple in India with feminine energy. It was in my visit list for a long time. It is a must visit place for women as the mother goddess Shakthi’s Vagina is said to have fallen at this place. Its an important Shakthi Temple. The Goddess is said to menstruate every year and the Brahmaputra River turns red. When I visit temples, I look for the soul, I walk-in as though I am meeting a friend with an open mind. It’s a curiosity to know and feel the place.
Double dose of Covid vaccination was a mandatory to visit the temple. They give a ticket for entry of the temple. As I walked the path to the entrance of the temple people interrupted me to leave footwear in their shop. I kept walking till the last shop where there is a footwear stand and removed footwear there. One person who looked like a pandit said, “you have come late, you can’t see the goddess if you go by the queue”. He offered to take me through another entrance. But I preferred to go by the queue. Who cares if I can’t see the deity? Ride through the Nilachal hills and spending time in the temple premise is all I came for. As he said there was a huge queue. I thoroughly enjoyed the waiting time watching Monkeys and birds. The place has Dove, Pigeons and Geese. The waiting time was pleasing.
To my luck the temple was open till 7.30 pm in the evening as it was a special day of Ekadhasi. To my surprise there was no physical form of the goddess and only some water to touch and pray. I prayed and walked out confused and I was pulled again inside the main Shrine by the crowd. This time somehow, I cried. I felt the divine and her blessings! I had a super Dharshan of the deity and left the place by Uber. Cab services Uber and Ola are available for the temple. In the night all shops are closed and there is no accommodation near the temple is what a shopkeeper told me. Buses ply to the temple frequently.
UMANANDA TEMPLE
Visiting Kamakhya temple should be combined with Umananda temple. Its like visiting the couple Shiva and Parvathi together. The name “Umananda” means the one who gives Happiness to Uma (other name for Goddess Kamakhya). Umananda temple is located on a hillock called the Peacock Island in the middle of the Brahmaputra River. We need to reach there by cruise.
Watching the Sunset in Brahmaputra River by Cruise is very famous in Gawahati. It was my second day evening at Guwahati after visiting Pobitora in the morning. I landed in the banks of Brahmaputra River and walked on the river side for nearly 1 km enjoying the water view. The riverbank is very lively to walk around with lot of park area and well-planned pavement. I combined the temple visit and Cruise trip by taking the government cruise service which has a ticket of Rs.20. It took some time for me to find the ticketing place. I took the 3pm cruise which is the last trip for the day. In the night the boating will be stopped in the river.
Here I go in the cruise to the other bank enjoying the Brahmaputra waters after an hour long walk. To reach the temple we must climb few steps uphill. The Shrine of lord shiva looks same as Kamakhya Devi shrine with a large dome. There are Hanuman, Lord Ganesh and Sita Ram deities in the temple. If feels divine to look at the Sunset in the Brahmaputra River from the temple. The cruise that we travelled will wait for us for the return trip. On the return trip in the cruise for the first time in life, I saw the Sun and the Moon in the sky at the same horizon. A thought came to my mind that the Sun and the Moon take turns to be with us and we are never alone as long us either one of them are with us.
Our days and nights are taken care! we just keep moving on, doing, learning and listening. For the eyes that are always watching computer screens, phone screen, TV screen, insta, watsapp, facebook and what not in search of people to ward off timely loneliness, the Sun and the Moon are eye openers. Keeping close to nature makes life very lively and interesting. Found the light at the end of the tunnel for rest of life! Our time is measured by these two, the Sun and the Moon and so are the moments of life!
Reached the other back of the river in the cruise feeling enlightened and happy! It was a happy evening! This enlightenment helped me a lot in the Meghalaya visit on the following week with absolutely no network in some places and no electricity in other places. Life is to be loved and lived to the fullest every moment without fear. We need light to shoo away darkness. Natures lights are a plenty! The Sun, Moon, Stars, Fire and Fireflies, all enlighten the Soul!
Soul Travelogue 