Guwahati, Assam, India
Tantra loves and loves unconditionally. It never says no to anything whatsoever . . .
—Osho, or Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (1931–1990), Indian mystic and spiritual leader
According to myth, when the womb of Sati (the Hindu Mother Goddess) fell to Earth as the result of a chain of events stemming from her father’s disapproval of her husband, a large cleft occurred in the bedrock. On that holy site, a temple was built to venerate the goddess, thereafter known as Kamakhya (One Worshipped by the God of Love). The eye-catching temple—with seven oval spires, three golden pitchers, and inner walls covered with carvings of Hindu deity—is among the most sacred to practitioners of Shakti Tantra.
If you wish to meditate on a family conflict or learn more about tantrism, visit Kamakhya Temple, which welcomes people of all beliefs. Located 5 miles from the railway station in the Kamrup District of Guwahati, the temple is open from 5:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.
Place your fingertips on the yoni (cleft in the bedrock, representing the origin of life in Tantra) and say your prayer. Outside, light a ghee lamp or incense and walk around the temple clockwise.
Built in the sixteenth century and rebuilt in the seventeenth century, Kamakhya Temple sits high on a hill looking every bit the medieval Hindu temple it is. Its sanctum sanctorum, located in a cave, is one of the most venerated Shakti shrines in India.