Intro:
A famous shrine to the Hindu “Goddess of Desire,” Kamakhya Temple, is situated about 7 kilometres to the northeast of Pithoragarh. It is one of Kumaon’s holiest locations and is surrounded by numerous sun-kissed peaks. Madan Sharma and his family constructed the temple of Kamakhya Devi, which has become a revered location for many Hindu pilgrims.
About Kamakhya devi:
The Kamakhya devi Mandir is regarded as a representation of womanhood. This temple is unique in that it is Uttrakhand’s only Kamakhya Devi Mandir. The locals’ efforts have helped this Kamakhya mandir, which originally took the form of a tiny Kamakhya Temple, grow into a stunning, enormous Kamakhya Temple. People really believe that all of their desires are satisfied after only one visit to the Kamakhya Mandir. The most significant aspect of this temple is that anyone who prays in the Kamakhya Devi Mandir with a sincere heart will undoubtedly have their wishes granted. Coming here was an act of religious faith fulfilment. There is a lot of religious significance to this temple. When travelling to Pithoragarh, Visitors come to this revered temple. One of Pithoragarh’s most popular religious destinations is the Kamakhya devi Mandir.
History & Mythology:
The story goes that all the gods were invited to King Daksha’s yajna at Kankhal in Haridwar, but neither Lord Shiva nor his daughter Sati were. Shiva’s wife and King Daksha’s daughter entered the yagna over Lord Shiva’s refusal. She felt humiliated there, so she dove into the Yagna Kund. Angered at the news, Lord Shiva used some of his hair to create Veerabhadra (), and Veerabhadra accompanied Gana in destroying the Daksha Yagya. Sati got hampered by ordering herself into the shadow form Sati when the Yajna was destroyed.
After the Chayaa-Sati is eaten, after Lord Shiva is pleased with the Chayasati, and after the Chayasati signifies the end of the Yagya, this episode does not end.
The remains of Chayasati are securely rejoined in Daksha’s Yajshala. Lord Shivji then mourns for Sati like a cosmic man and wanders around like a crazy while wearing Sati’s body on his head, despite being foreseen by Goddess Shakti as promised, despite being foretold as foretold. He used to travel to the Himalayas with Sati.
To take in all of this, alert the Gods, and manage the situation, with his Sudarshan Chakra, Lord Vishnu shatters Sati’s corpse. In this fashion, as various Sati components and ornaments fell at various locations, those locations were enriched with the splendour of Shaktipeeth. 51 Shaktipeeths were created in this fashion. The location is known as Surkanda, which is in Uttarakhand and afterwards gained fame as Siddhpeeth / Shaktipeeth Surkanda. Sati’s head landed on Mount Surkut from the block of these many limbs.
Why this temple famous?
The Kamakhya Temple is the location where Sati used to hide out to fulfil her amour with Shiva, according to the Kalika Purana. It was also the location where her yoni (genitalia, or womb), fell following Shiva’s tandav (dance of destruction) with Sati’s body. It identifies Kamakhya as one of the four main shakti peethas, the others being the Tara Tarini) Sthana Khanda (Breasts), close to Brahmapur, Odisha; and Dakhina Kalika at Kalighat, Kolkata, in the state of West Bengal, which also arose from the limbs of the corpse of Mata Sati. The Devi Bhagavata, which names 108 locations connected to Sati’s body, does not support this, while Kamakhya is mentioned in a separate list.
A later text, the Yogini Tantra, emphasises the inventive symbolism of the yoni while ignoring the origin of Kamakhya as stated in the Kalika Purana. It also links Kamakhya with the goddess Kali.
Members of the Koch Bihar royal family avoid looking at the temple when passing by due to a rumoured curse by the Goddess.
Best time to Visit:
Although one can travel to Kamakhya Temple throughout the year, the optimum time to do so is from October to May.
Places to stay around:
- Hotel Meghna
- Hotel Jyonar Palace
- Hotel Mall Palace
- Satkar Hotel
- Hotel Mountain view
- Hotel Mangalam
Temple Location:
Address: H7J4+J2G, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand 262520
How to reach:
It is simple to travel to the Kamakhya Temple, which is conveniently placed 7 kilometres outside of Pithoragarh. Pithoragarh is easily accessible from any location in the nation thanks to its excellent network of fast motorable highways. There are direct buses from ISBT Anand Vihar in Delhi to Pithoragarh. The closest rail station to Pithoragarh is Tanakpur, which is located 148 kilometres away. From Tanakpur, taxis and buses to Pithoragarh are readily available. The closest airport to Pithoragarh is Pantnagar Airport, which is located 210 kilometres away. From the airport, taxis to Pithoragarh are fairly accessible.
Travelling Tip:
- Car parking is just 100 meters away from the Temple
- The best time to visit Kamakhya Mandiris between October to march
- Make your plan according to atmospheric conditions.
- During the Ambubachi festival, the Temple remains closed for three days as it is believed that Goddess Kamakhyagoes through her menstruation cycle and it is forbidden to enter the temple.
- VIP ticket is not available as of now, you have to stand in the Q to get the ticket, it is open for 1-2 hours in the morning, afternoon and evening, it should be noted that only 3 tickets are available for one person.
- Continuously re-evaluate your possessions prior to looking at from Hotels and home stay.
- Try not to pursue faster routes in sloping regions.
