‘SUNDER BHARAT’ SWACHH BHARAT CUM AMBUBACHI MELA SERVICE CAMP BY BS&G, N.F.RAILWAY & ASSAM STATE ON 22nd July to 27th July 2015
Indroduction
The Kamakhya Temple (Assamese) : is a Hindu temple dedicated to the mother goddess Kamakhya, one of the oldest of the 51 Shakti Pithas. Located at just about 8km from the main city of Guwahati, Kamakhya temple, located atop the Nilanchal Hill in the Kamrup district of the north eastern state of Assam, is quite easily reachable through all modes of transport.The Temple is dedicated to Goddess Shakthi who know as “Sodashi” by the locals. The Kamakhya Devi Temple is a Natural cave temple where a spring is found at all times. According to history, this temple assumes great significance because when the Goddess did self-sacrifice many years ago, her genital organ, fell at the place where the temple stands now. The dark cave temple can be reached by taking a flight of steep stairs. The Goddess is not available in any form inside this.
During the 8th to 17th centuries, the temple underwent lots of renovations from different rulers, as a result of which many different styles are evident here. This has brought about a unique name to the style of the temple, the Nilachal type. This meant that the temple had a dome in the shape of a hemisphere on a cruciform base. There are four chambers, three mandaps in the temple (calanta, pancaratna and natamandira) and one Garbagriha inside the temple. The Garbhagriha is small, dark and reached by narrow steep stone steps. Inside the cave there is a sheet of stone that slopes downwards from both sides meeting in a genital organ-like depreeession some 10 inches deep. This hollow is constantly filled with water from an underground perennial spring. It is the vulva-shaped depression that is worshiped as the goddess Kamakhya herself and considered as most important pitha (abode) of the Devi.
Besides Kamakhya, there are a number of temples and holy places to be visited on the Kamakhya Hills-the temples of Dasa Mahavidya, such as Kali, Tara, Shodasi, Bhubaneswari, Bhairabi, Chinnamasta, Kamala, Bagalamukhi, Dhoomavati and Matangi. Among the various worships and festivals of Goddess Kamakhya the famous ones are the Makar Sankranti, Kali puja, Saraswati puja, Shivaratri, Dolyatra, Basanti puja, Madan puja, Chaitra Sankranti, Gramdeveta puja, Manasa puja, Krishna Janmasthami, Durga puja, Lakshmi puja, Kati Bihu, Shyama puja, etc. Of course, the most famous of them is the Ambubachi Mela, in which Brefe report of The Bharat Scouts & Guides, N.F.Railway & Assam State as under:-
Report
The Bharat Scouts & Guides, N.F.Railway State about 300 Nos of Rovers/Rangers & 250 Nos Rovers & Rangers of Assam State has rendered services of ‘Sunder Bharat’Swachha Bharat Cum Ambubachi Mela Service Camp, under the leadership of Sh.Khagesh Kumar, SOC (S), N.F.Railway & Sh. Utpal Das, Assam State on 22nd June to 27th June 2015 at Mata Kamakhya Temple & Assam State at Kamakhya Railway Station, Bus Stop & Control Room , etc .On permission by the Director of Bharat Scouts & Guides, National Headquarters, New Delhi, I had personally attended on 23rd June 2015 , 25th June 2015 & 26th June 2015.
During my three days I have seen our N.F.Railway & Assam State Rovers/Rangers & Leaders are giving services to the pilgrims by helping Govt.Authorities. Our Rovrs/Rangers & Leaders have been undertaking the activities on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan during their services. More about 3 laks pilgrims from different part of India have arrived and aboard also to witness the Mela. They are also doing public awareness among the pilgrims about the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and motivating them to keep the Area by individual Pilgrims also.
It has also been seen in the local Media and News Channels are showing the activities done by our Rovers/Rangers & Leaders with high appreciation and the appreciation from the pilgrims are also noticed in the News covering by the local News Channels.
Sh. Ranjit Das, MOP coordinator also visited the camp.
Photos of above Service camp are enclosed.
Ashok Kumar Mohapatra
Assist Director, NER