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Kaamaakhyaa Temple

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(1) Kaamaakhyaa Devee Temple, Aassaam
Kaamaakhyaa Devee temple is a Shakti Peeth Temple situated on the Neelaachal Hill in the West of Gauhaatee city in Aassaam. It is the main temple in the complex of some individual temples of Dash Mahaavidyaa (see also  Das Mahaavidyaa Temple), including Bhuvaneshwaree, Bagalaamukhee, Chinnamastaa, Tripur Sundaree and Taaraa.

This Temple was built during the 1st millennium during the period of Kaamaroop. Samudragupt (335-375 AD) inscriptions have a mention about it. It was destroyed by Mongols in about 12 BC, but was later revived in 1565. Its current Shikhar is on the beehive pattern. This temple has no statue in it but  a cave. There is a natural underground spring that flows through a Yoni shaped cleft in the bedrock. She is celebrated during the Amboovaachee festival each Summer - the menstruation of the Devee Kaamaakhyaa is celebrated. During this time the water there flows red in color - mixed with iron oxide making it red. Here the animal sacrifice is still offered. people offer Devee goat every morning. The Kalikaa Puraan describes Kaamaakhyaa Devee the yielder of all desires. The young bride of Shiv and the giver of salvation is called Kaamaakhyaa.

The different names associated with her are some Aaryan and non-Aaryan Devee. The Devee is worshipped  by Vaamaachaar Panthee I (Left Hand Path), as well as Dkashinaachaar Panthee (Right Hand Path) people. Offering to the Devee is usually flowers, but might include animal sacrifice. In general, female animals are exempted from sacrifice, a rule that is relaxed during mass sacrifices.

Legend
Once a King in the Himaalayan region (now in Nepaal) approached Sage Vaatsyaayan, who lived in the 1st century AD, to find a solution to convert the tribes so that he could stop their human sacrifices into a socially accepted worship. So the suggested the name of Devee Taaraa who was worshipped by the people around. It was much later, that most Taantrik Devee were related to the legend of "Shakti" and began to erroneously worship her as a Devee.

According to Kalikaa Puraan, when Satee had left her body in her father Daksh's Yagya and Shiv wandered around carrying it like a mad person, Vishnu cut Satee's body in 51 pieces which fell all over the Earth. Wherever they fell, a Shakti Peeth was established there. It is said that her Yoni fell here. Thus this place is known as one of he 51 Shakti Peeth.

This story is not mentioned in Devee Bhaagvat, which lists 108 places associated with Satee's body, although Kaamaakhyaa's name is mentioned in the supplementary list. The Yoginee Tantra, a later work, ignores the origin of Kaamaakhyaa given in Kalikaa Puraan, and associates her with Devee Kaalee and emphasizes the creative symbolism of the Yoni.

According to a legend, Kooch Bihaar royal family was prohibited by Devee herself to worship her, so for the fear of her curse the royal family now does not even look at the temple, and because of no support from the royal family, the temple has suffered a lot.

(2) Kaamaakhyaa Deve Temple, Himaachal
There is one Kaamaakhyaa Devee Temple is in Unaa District of Himaachal Pradesh also, situated at the 600 meters above the sea level. The Pindee was brought by the descents of the sage Vaatsyaayan some 800 years ago, after 1200 AD.

Kaamaakshee Temple is a well known Shakti Peeth and the Shree Chakra in front of the idol receives the worship. This Shree Chakra is claimed (disputed) to have been established by Shankaraachaarya Jee who appeased her and extracted a promise from her that she would not stir out of the Temple without his permission. There is still a tradition of taking Shankar's permission before the Utsav Moorti is moved out (by taking it before the Shankar's idol kept there).