‘Mother Goddess Kamakhya in dialogue with the local, the regional, the national and the beyond’

It can very well be said that any kind of geographical, political, social, religious, anthropological, landscape and philosophical or iconography or culture centric description of the North-Eastern part of India is not possible without some reference being made to the magical beauty of the Mother Goddess Kamakhya. It is the most dominating name in the early history of Assam and till now it remains so. The shrine of the Goddess Kamakhya is situated at the present town of Guwahati which is nearer to the Khasi and Garo tribes areas, which are mostly aboriginal matriarchal tribes. She was taken as tribal and local goddess before her Hinduisation phase has taken place in North-East of India. Infract changes incorporated in her overall status is phenomenal in nature with its impact on the social and religious beliefs and practices among the local people. Initially she remained a regional deity rather than the Great Shakti Goddess. The whole natural environment, landscape and food habits of tribes were interlinked with Her as a folk deity of the region, Kamarupa. Infect it is from some of her innumerable names such as, Kamoi, Kamoit, Kamet, Kamru etc. that the Khasis, Garos and Bodos related their own stories along with the stories of the Goddess’s origination on Kamakhya. Mother Goddess as folk goddess did not have much restrictions during those time. She is the goddess who menstruates and worshipped as Yoni goddess, who has reflected as female centric and as Mother Nature who created the universe out of her cosmic womb. Pujas and rituals were also characterised by various ethnic communities in such a way that they offer Her foods and sacrifices; which were a part of their daily dietary routine. The Kalika Purana and the Yogini Tantra records the ritualistic details which also made ways to re-christening Her as the Great Goddess. This later leads to the division of castes among the local tribes into higher and lower. The present paper seeks to explain the origination of Kamakhya as a local deity and the later Brahmanical phase of transforming her as Shakti, the Great Goddess.