At Guwahati’s historic Kamakhya temple, celebration of Durga Puja sans idols

Along with other parts of the country, Durga Puja’s festive fervour has also gripped Guwahati and the puja pandals have been decorated with different themes, lights, etc.

However, the Durga Puja is differently celebrated at the historic Kamakhya temple located atop the Nilachal Hill in the capital city of Assam. It is celebrated avoiding idol worship.

Fortnight-long Durga Puja festival began at Kamakhya temple amid the chanting of slokas and rituals by priests.

Kamakhya temple is a major seat of Shakti worship. The celebrations start from the ninth day of the waning of the moon or ‘Krishna Navami’ and will end on the ninth day of the waxing of the moon or ‘Sukla Navami’ of the Hindu month of ‘Ashwin’.

For the Dura Puja celebrations, the historic temple has been decorated with banana stems, flowers, and leaves.

Himadri Sarma, a priest of Kamakhya temple said that the Durga Puja at Kamakhya temple has been celebrated with different fervour.

“We have performed the rituals at the temple. Kumari Puja (virgin worship) is performed from the first day after the Navaratri and will be continued till Navami,” Himadri Sarma said.

Kabindra Prasad Sarma, the chief priest of Kamakhya temple told the media that every year Durga Puja is celebrated at Kamakhya temple.

“We celebrate Durga Puja here for 15 days from Krishna Navami to Sukla Navami. We also perform Kanya Puja (Kumari Puja) here during Navratri from Pratibada to Navami Tithi. The most remarkable aspect of the Puja is that there is no idol or image of Goddess Durga,” Kabindra Prasad Sarma said.

A large number of devotees have thronged the historic Kamakhya temple during Navratri and offered their prayers to Goddess Kamakhya.