Day 2 of 3, Shakti Pitha Yatra

Me: How to know what’s the divine will? 

Mentor: Everything is divine will. 

Now you have come here. You have put in faith, surrender maybe. That’s following divine will. There were many folks whom we wanted to come as they were going through few things and this darshan would’ve made a difference. That’s divine will. She (the Divine mother) isn’t  willing. 

A blade of grass wouldn’t move without Her will. 

Have pure thoughts.

Me: How to have pure thoughts?

Mentor: 

Don’t have something inside and behave the other way outside. It will come – bite you.

Surrender. Just surrender and keep on doing your work. Actions are not so important. You wouldn’t know Her grand plan in your little mind.

— 

Today our visit was to Kamakhya, considered to be one of the most powerful of the Shakti Pithas. 

References to this Kshetra is mentioned in various scriptures and religious texts. 

This is special and different in many ways. 

While there is a diety of the mother, it is not what is revered here. 

1. The Divine mother is revered and worship as Yoni, interpreted to literally mean the womb or vagina. Representing the source of all creation. 
2. The Yoni and the Linga , together symbolize the merging of microcosms and macrocosms. 
3. At the garbha griha, there is a stream of water that comes to the griha from the Nilachal mountain. That water many consider to be The Divine Mother. 
4. Kamakhya is also considered the Adi Parashakti. The supreme Brahman. 
5. It is at this place where the Ambubachi mela happens and is celebrated as the menstruation of the Divine mother. 
6. There is Bali, animal sacrifice. 

Not a traditional temple in many ways. 

We reached the temple premises by about 330pm. Our group coordinator had already arranged ticket darshan reserved for our group. We entered the group line. We were made to sit in a hall. We chanted Lalitha Sahasranama. As we were about to finish the 3rd time, we were asked to move to the queue. Joining the queue, we entered the space where the queues are supposed to wait. We waited probably for about 1-2 hours. And we got to enter the area where the diety of mother is placed. This area seemed ancient with unidentified deities carved on the walls. A priest told us to go down, bow down to the water, sprinkle water over your head and drink it.

We had to climb down the steps. It was a dark area. Only lamps lit were the source for vision. We did what we were told to. It seemed like a rare opportunity to get so close to something and touch, that is revered dearly by millions of people. 

After coming out, we sat outside beside the temple. The temple premise was house to different types of Sadhanas, also the goats, monkeys, pigeons took shelter freely – roaming besides the meditators and sadhaks happily. Many devotees were deeply absorbed in the chants of the mother. 

As the facilities and infrastructure gets better , it becomes easier people to reach the temple making it more hard to get the darshan of The Mother in the coming years. Grateful for this rare opportunity and grace. In any case, it is HER Will!