Last Updated on January 25, 2025 by
In the previous Travelogues we discussed a typical day in the life of Shree Maa at the Kamakhya Temple. In this post I would like to share some random tidbits of things that made this trip so special – the people, the places, the temple details, and the way of life. For all of these aspects woven together make India a very unique experience.
Kamakhya Reflects the True Spirit of Devotion
Kamakhya Temple during Navaratri reflects the spirit of India and the love of the devotees for the Goddess. We know how awesome Shree Maa’s altars are, but Kamakhya during Navaratri is Shree Maa on steroids!
Check out the beautiful flowers with vivid colors on the domes of the temple. Everything is done with 100% devotion and attention. No detail is left to chance.
In Kamakhya, even the monkey’s are taking selfies!
Amazing Sadhus and Babas
Holy men come from all different traditions and congregate at Kamakhya during Navaratri. They seemed to gather around our Homa Kund while Shree Maa chanted the Chandi Path, peering in through the fence every day. Shree Maa is like a fragrant flower attracting honey bees in the form of Sadhus to Her.
I was fortunate to get blessings from several Shiva Babas. One Shiva Baba was fully clothed in rudraksha beads woven together. He wore a headpiece also made of rudraksha beads where a white bird sat peacefully (see picture below, to Baba’s right side is the white bird).
One renunciate sat through the Chandi Homa everyday and received Shree Maa’s blessing. Others were seen chanting scriptures throughout the temple grounds.
The experience was very rich and it would be rewarding to go back and do long-term sadhana in this location.
Temple Carvings
Kamakhya is a mecca for those who want to remember God. Visually every place you turn serves as a constant reminder of God – the flowers, the sadhus, the priests, the chanting, the offerings, the homa kund – everything.
As if that isn’t enough, on the outside of the temples are carvings of Divine Gods and Goddesses which are so precious you can’t help but stop and take notice. People worship these deities with flowers and kumkum as they pass by, and in the evening they perform arati.
It is part of the Hindu experience and it is likened to Shree Maa’s home, where every place you look, every corner, every wall, has a picture of Divinity.
Shree Maa’s Ashram Experience Included Family Meals
The Shreemoyee Inn provided a perfect family environment where we could all gather in a lovely dining area and eat together. Shree Maa set the tone for a beautiful, harmonious ashram experience as we devoured scrumptious meals with the family in perfect harmony – sharing love, the events of the day, and funny stories!
Sometimes other sadhus would be dining at the same time and when Shree Maa walked into the dining hall they would begin chanting, “Jai Mata Di! Jai Mata Di!” Then the sadhus would leave their meal and get a blessing at Shree Maa’s feet. How fortunate we are to be so close to Shree Maa!
Shree Maa’s Love Is Healing and Nurturing to All
Shree Maa is happiest when She is sharing love with Her children. She gives Her love endlessly and it is returned to Her ten-fold in the form devotion.
Through the nine days, Shree Maa had devotees coming and going. Some were able to stay the entire time, others just for a day, but everyone there felt nurtured by Divine Mother’s pure love.
She fed babies. She blessed us every evening. She enjoyed her family. She met several new devotees. She held discussions with priests from the Temple, who revere Her with the respect and devotion of the Divine Mother.
Shree Maa’s Bhajans!
No trip is complete without enjoying Shree Maa’s divine voice. On one evening she sat on the steps overlooking the temple and sang bhajans for a group of devotees. On another occasion she sang in the hotel lobby with a group of devotees.
The Divine Children
The children served as a constant reminder of purity, joy and innocence. Shree Maa loved having them around her, especially playing with the baby boy who could not stop smiling and laughing. She also loved performing arati with the children who joined Her in closing prayers.
The very essence of life in India is spirituality. Hinduism is a holistic culture of spirituality that weaves the remembrance of God into everything done.
Shree Maa says that if you call on God in a pure and simple manner you will know that all you are doing is Divine work. The Hindu culture makes it easy to remember this fact as everything experienced by the five senses appears as a pure and simple reminder of God. This is the reason why Swamiji loves being in India and doing his sadhana here!
Jai Maa!