Kamakhya Temple

One of the best known temple of Guwahati is Kamakhya, situated on Nilachal Hill, eight km west of the city. This temple honour the Mother Goddess Kamakhya, the essence of female energy. It is one of the 108 Shakti Peethas of Goddess Durga. Legend has it that Kamakhya came into existence when Lord Shiva was carrying the corpse of his wife Sati, and her "yoni" (female genitalia) fell to the ground at the spot where the temple now stands. The temple is a natural cave with a spring. Down a flight of steps to the bowel of earth, is located a dark, mysterious chamber. Here, draped with a silk sari and covered with flowers, is kept the "matra yoni". The Temple was rebuilt in 1665 after being destroyed by Muslim invaders, but its origins are much older than that. It was probably an ancient Khasi sacrificial site, sacrifices are still very much part of worshiping here. Group of devotees arrive each morning with goats to offer to Shakti. Here, Durga Puja is celebrated annually during Navaratri in the month of September- October. It is a three day festival attracting several visitors. A unique festival observed here is the Ambuvaci (Ameti) fertility festival wherein it is believed that the Goddess (mother Earth) undergoes her menstrual period. sourcE: http://www.durga-puja.org/kamakhya-temple.html

Durga Puja ‘gift’ for sick PSU staff

A STAFF REPORTER

Guwahati, Sept. 27: Assam government today announced a Puja “gift” for nearly 5,000 employees of 14 closed and ailing public sector units. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi today told reporters that Dispur would be releasing liabilities of Rs 193 crore before the festivities. Of the total Rs 360 crore liabilities, the government has already released Rs 143 crore. This amount will be paid to the employees under the voluntary retirement and provident fund benefits, he said. The government also raised the puja incentive of grade IV employees from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,600. “Over one lakh grade IV employees will benefit from this,” Gogoi said. Besides, Rs 300 will be paid to Anganwadi workers and Rs 200 to Anganwadi helpers retrospectively from last April. Moreover, the state government will also release Rs 50 crore for the sick Assam Tea Corporation Limited gardens to help clear the company’s dues, he added. Gogoi said the government has also been working out plans to make pension process “friendlier” for its employees. “Retired persons will no longer face any hardship to procure pension benefits from now on,” Gogoi said, adding that the entire procedure would be made much simpler than the existing one. He said the government has also released Rs 344 crore for the flood-hit farmers and over 2,40,000 farmers were benefited by it.

source: telegraph india

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Invoking the goddess Durga

Rituparna Goswami Pandey 20 October, 2007 06:01:00

Durga puja is awaited with bated breath every year and the goddess is given a tearful farewell every year at the end of the puja, and this year won’t be any different either. Guwahati’s heart throbbed with festive fervour as devotees offered ‘anjali’ in their ‘para pandals’ Guwahatians pulsated with the puja spirit indulging in pandal hopping and invoking the goddess with hearts brimming with pious devotion. For once the markets had a forsaken look as the usual customers turned devotees attired in their festive best visited pandals instead of shops luring them with festive discounts.

Strangely Guwahati lacked the usual crowded streets during the puja days for traffic moved easily in the usually packed streets and by lanes except in particular areas where a few traffic snarls were spotted. However, a day later the devotees turned up in large numbers. The puja pandals dazzling with breath taking decorations and lightings drew huge number of people with the celebration of the auspicious mahaastami. The air reverbrated with the chanting of mantras and the beats of the dhak.

However, this year puja pandals though crammed with devotees also saw a huge deployment of security personnels as the pandals being sensitive spots and susceptible to terrorist attacks are under the police scanner. The disturbed times today has dampened the spirits of devotees making them extra cautious in their movements. Perhaps this is the reason behind the low turn out of people in the streets.

Traditionally, the five day puja celebrations begin with Mahalaya when one is able to perform any number of shradha ceremonies of one’s departed relatives. Then comes the Sandi Paath after which begins the rituals of puja. Legends hold that Lord Rama had offered puja to devi Durga in order to get her blessings in the killing of the evil called Ravana. Chronologically speaking Sashthi is the first day of puja when the goddess is put on a pedestal and the priests invite her to their midst which is followed by Saptami the second day when the proceedings begin by bathing the goddess. Maha Ashtami is a repeat of the previous day where sometimes animal sacrifices are offered to please the goddess, a primitive or rather pagan ritual that needs to be eradicated from our culture as it has no place in our developed society. However after navami finally the last day of puja is Vijaya Dashami when the devotees bid a tearful farewell to the goddess.

Guwahati alone boasts of more than 600 pujas, the oldest being Hari Sabha in Panbazar. Pandals in Beltola, Ganeshguri, Silpukhuri, Uzanbazar, Kumarpara etc witness the maximum rush and today laser shows in certain pandals are a huge crowd puller.

Come let us all invoke the goddess and ask her to grant us the beauty of soul, the taste of sweet success, give us name and fame and destroy the evil forces in us and show everyone the right direction.

“Rupang dehi, jayang dehi, jasho dehi dishu jehi ”

Photo: People throng on the occasion of Maha Navami during Durga puja celebrations in Sivasagar, Assam on 20-10-2007. Picture by Luit Chaliha.
source: http://www.assamtimes.org/index.php?news=571

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