The Kamakhya temple – Story of the great sacrifice

The Kamakhya temple is situated atop the Nilanchal hills, eight hundred meters above sea level and overlooking the mighty Brahmaputra river. It is about eight kilometers west from the heart of the city of Guwahati in Assam.

Sati (Dakshayini) was the daughter of King Daksha and wife of Lord Shiva. When Daksha had organized a Yagna (Daksha Yagna), he had invited all the Gods, celestial beings and sages except Lord Shiva. Sati was eager to attend the Yagna, unmindful of not being invited. So she went alone with permission from Shiva, who however preferred not to attend uninvited.Sati did not expect to be ridiculed by her father when he saw her there, uninvited. When Daksha hurled abuses at her husband and humiliated them, she was deeply hurt and angry. She threw herself in the blazing fire of the Yagna and killed herself. Shiva, on learning about the tragic death of his wife, was infuriated. Killing Daksha, he hoisted the dead body of Sati over his shoulder and began the Thandava- a dance of Annihilation.This shook the universe and frightened the Gods. Lord Vishnu, Brahma and Shani ventured to put an end to the blind fury of Shiva. With the help of his Sudarshana chakra, Vishnu reduced the body of Sati to pieces and Shiva, without his wife’s body, returned to meditation.However, Sati’s body parts, 51 in all, fell all over the earth and each of these places is revered as holy. The organ of generation (Yoni or the genital organs) of Sati fell over the Nilanchal Hills and today is known as Kamakhya Temple.

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