Mystry of nine nights; Nav-Ratra

Nine different source of power 'Nau Durga'
Nine incarnations of mother Goddess Durga

According to Durga Saptashati, the nine different forms of goddess Durga has been narrated as follows :-

प्रथमं शैलपुत्री च द्वितीयं ब्रह्मचारिणी।
तृतीयं चन्द्रघण्टेति कूष्माण्डेति. चतुर्थकम्।।
पंचमं स्कन्दमातेति षष्ठं कात्यायनीति च।
सप्तमं कालरात्रीति.महागौरीति चाष्टमम्।।
नवमं सिद्धिदात्री च नवदुर्गा: प्रकीर्तिता:।
उक्तान्येतानि नामानि ब्रह्मणैव महात्मना:।।

Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh Worship Goddess Adya-Shakti. Mother of all.

Trilok (World, Hades, Heaven) Worship Goddess Adhya-Shakti

Goddess Durga, the destroyer of the demon Durgamasura.

Once, the demon Durgamasura had attained the power and knowledge of all the Vedas as well as holy chants from Lord Brahma through a boon. Due to the absence all the mantras or chants, it was no more possible for the sages and Brahmans of the world to dedicate their offerings to the gods. Consequently, the people on the earth had to suffer from the permanent absence of rain for a long time. All plants, trees, vegetables, etc. disappeared from the earth. Such a situation continued for a hundred long years and it led to the death of humans and other living things on the earth. The only thing that could be seen anywhere were the dead bodies of one and every kind of living beings. Under such circumstances, the Brahmans and Sages went to the Himalayas to worship the Adi Shakti so that they could be blessed with rain. Their sincere prayers satisfied the universal mother goddess, Devi Adi Shakti and she offered vegetables and fruits for the sages to eat. Then she continued to shed tears for seven days through her thousands of eyes, as a result of which the entire earth was full of water. Furthermore, she killed the demon Durgamasura and became famous by the name of Durga. She is also known as Parvati or Sati, the wife of Lord Shiva. She is also well-renowned by the name of Nav Durga, as she exists in the form of nine separate goddesses.
The festival of Nav Durga is celebrated four times in a year in the months of Pausha, Chaitra, Ashwin and Ashada lasting from the first day of the fortnight till the ninth day. The nine different forms of the mother goddess is worshiped with special grandeur and purity. It is observed with great joy in the northern part of India as well as in the state of Gujarat. In the eastern part of the country, it is a grand festival observed during the autumn in the month of Ashwin. In this region, following the footsteps of the great sage Katyayan, the goddess is evoked on the sixth day of the festival. Then, the goddess is worshiped with due respect following all the rituals during the seventh, eighth and ninth day of the fortnight. On the tenth day, she is sent off to Mount Kailash, her residence. In the same manner, the goddess is also worshiped during the month of Chaitra. In the northern and western parts of India, the devotees worship the nine forms of the mother goddess, namely, Maha-Kali, Maha-Laxmi, Maha-Saraswati and so on, while in the eastern part, the valiant form of the goddess, Mahishmardini Durga

is worshiped. . It is believed that during this period, any prayer offered to the goddess is fulfilled and is also very effective. The true devotee can experience the miraculous power of the goddess. Especially, people following the Tantric philosophy perform their rituals during this period so that they can easily attain salvation.

These nine forms of mother goddess Durga are respectively :

!!... Goddess Shailaputri ....!!

Goddess Shailputri

Due to her origin as the daughter of king Himalaya, she is known as
Devi Shailaputri (the daughter of the mountain)

Goddess Durga, in her very first incarnation, is also known as Shailaputri. She took birth in the home of the Himalayas, and hence was named so. (Shaila=Mountain, Putri=daughter). Her appearance in this form is fascinating, complete with the crescent moon on her forehead, the varieties of ornaments, her crown etc. She is carried by her Vahana, the Vrishabha (the ox); she bears a trishul (her weapon) in her hand and a lotus in her hand.
Previously, with a view to fulfill the prayers of Lord Brahma, the goddess had already taken birth as Sati. Sati was the daughter of king Daksha, the son of Lord Brahma. She got married to Lord Shiva or Shankara. She could not bear with the insult king Daksha had caused to Lord Shiva and had sacrificed herself in the fire of Yajna (fire sacrifice). As soon as Lord Shiva got to know about this unfortunate incident, he at once appeared there along with his followers and destroyed the en-tired fire sacrifice event. Afterwards, the demon named Tarakasura began to worship Lord Brahma in order to gain control over the entire universe. He worshiped so hard that Lord Brahma was pleased with him and granted him his wish. Brahma also added that the demon could be killed only by the son of Lord Shiva or Shakti, and not by anyone else. But, after the death of Sati, Lord Shiva was deeply engrossed in meditation in Mount Kailash, and hence, there was no possibility for him to give birth to a son. Taking full advantage of the situation, Tarakasura threw out all the gods from heaven, and seated himself in the throne of the king of gods Lord Indra. From then on-wards, he began to rule over the three Lokas (heaven, earth and Hades). Under such circumstances, all the gods, along with Lord Brahma as well, started worshiping Adi Shakti, so that she would take rebirth as the partner of Lord Shiva, because there was no other way to defeat Tarakasura. Goddess Adi Shakti, moved by the united prayer of the gods, took birth as the daughter of king Himalaya. Initially, she was known as Shailaputri, and later she came to be known as Parvati. Thus, on the very first night of the Nav-Ratra festival, goddess Shailaputri is worshiped by the devotees.

!!... Goddess Brahmacharini ...!!

Goddess Brahmacharini

The goddess well-known for her practising tough penance
Goddess Brahmacharini

The second form of power of Goddess Durga is famous by the name of Brahmacharini. In this formation, the goddess immerses herself in very deep meditation. She practices strict celibacy, and delves in the toughest form of meditation. The half-moon gloriously exists on her forehead, she wears a wide variety of ornaments, she carries the rosary on her hand, while the kamandala is on her hand. She possesses three eyes.
Born as the daughter of king Himalaya, the goddess obeyed the advice of sage Narada, and started practicing very strict meditation in order to get Lord Shiva as her life partner. Her such devotion and capability to perform tough penance had earned her the name Brahmacharini. She had continued her worship for thousands of years even without water or food. She even refused to intake dried leaves as her food, and hence, she also came to be known as Aparna (parna=leaf). There was much outcry all over the universe caused by her such strict meditation. Even Lord Brahma was highly praised by her dedication. He saluted the goddess, and announced that there had never been anyone else who had sacrificed so much for meditation. Hence, all her wishes would be fulfilled. Followed by the death of Sati, Lord Shiva had given up living a normal life, and had gone to the Himalayas to engage himself in deep mediation. He had also withdrawn himself from the action of destroying the evil power. Observing this situation, Tarakasura was well aware of the fact that since Lord Shiva had adopted the life of celibacy, he would never again get married, and thus, the birth of his child was out of question. Tarakasura used to think like this because he had been earlier threatened to be killed by the son of Shiva. Since Parvati wanted herself to be married to Lord Shiva, she employed her best possible efforts to win his heart, but to no avail. Lord Shiva was so deeply engrossed in his meditation that nothing could distract him. Afterwards, all the gods decided to send Kaamdev with the purpose of distracting Shiva from his meditation, but the lord got so angry that Kaamdev himself was burnt to ashes caused by the terrible anger of Shiva. Finally, goddess Brahmacharini was able to bring back Shiva from his strict meditation phase to normal life.
Thus, this form of goddess Durga is well-known for fulfilling human wishes expressed through sincere devotion, sacrifice, and unparallel faith towards god. The second night of the Nava-Ratra festival is dedicated to the worship of this goddess

!!... Goddess Chandraghanta ...!!

Goddess ChandraGhanta

The goddess, bearing the crescent moon on her forehead, in the shape of a bell is known as
Goddess Chandraghanta

The third form of the goddess is also well-known as Chandraghanta. This is because the crescent moon that can be seen on her forehead is in the shape of a bell (ghanta). She is golden complexioned, she bears ten hands, in which she carries trishul (the trident), gada (the mace), talwar (the sword), kamandal (the ewer used by the sages), dhanush - baan (the bow and arrow), the lotus flower and the rosary; she poses with the Abhaya mudra (the symbol to grant fearlessness to us) through her hands. She sits bravely on a tiger which is her carrier, she wears ornaments encrusted with precious jewels, and she is always ready to go for a battle. The sound of her bell keeps away the evil spirits, and the ferocious demons are terrified of her. She always attempts to punish the enemies of mankind, but in her appearance, she looks very calm and composed. She is very well-known among her devotees for such contrasting nature, which combines both bravery and peacefulness and war techniques in her character. Consequently, her devotees are also courageous and gentle in nature. Her devotees are as fearless as the lion or tiger; honesty, courageousness and politeness are their chief character traits and their appearance depicts their kind nature. During the Nava-Ratra festival, she is worshiped on the third night.

!!... Goddess Kushmanda ...!!

Goddess Kusmanda

The creator of the entire Universe,
Goddess Kushmanda

The fourth power of goddess Durga is also famous by the name of Kushmanda. As she had created Brahma or the universe, she has been named so. She has three eyes, the half-moon is gloriously present on her forehead, she has eight hands and is adorned with jewels and ornaments. The goddess sits on a tiger, the different things present in her hands are Chakra (the wheel), Gada (the club), Kalash (the urn), Japmala (the rosary), Kamandal (the ewer), Dhanush-Baan (the bow and arrow), and the lotus flower. She has a very pleasing appearance. Prior to the origin of the universe, there was no sign of creation anywhere. Only darkness prevailed all around. During this time, goddess Kushmanda created the universe through her smile. She is goddess Adi Shakti, the sole creator of each and every thing. She resides within the Surya Mandal (the sphere of the Sun). She is the only goddess empowered to stay in the Surya-loka, no other god or goddess is comparable to her power or lust-re. All the living and non-living beings as well as all the elements spread all around the universe are blessed by the blazing power of goddess Kushmanda, their creation is also solely influenced by this goddess.
The fourth day of the Nava-Ratra is designated for the worship of goddess Kushmanda. Her power helps to destroy all the illness and sorrows and miseries. Her worship also leads to the increase of lifespan, power etc. Moreover, the goddess can be satisfied through very simple efforts.

!!... Devi Skandamata ...!!

Goddess Skandmata

The mother of Kartikeya or Prince Skanda, who was the chief commander of the battle between the gods and demons
Devi Skandamata

The fifth formation of goddess Durga is also known as goddess Skandamata. Skanda is the other name given to Kartikeya, the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati. He was the chief commander on behalf of the gods during the battle between the gods and demons. He was the one who had killed the demon Tarakasura. As the goddess is the mother of Skanda, she came to be known as Skandamata (mata-mother). In this form, the goddess appears with the young prince Kartikeya in her lap and she bears four hands. She is adorned with various ornaments, she carries lotus flower and the half-moon in her hands. Her carrier is a lion, but she is also found to be seated on a lotus flower.
The devotees worship goddess Skandamata on the fifth day of the Navratra festival. She is worshiped with absolute devotion as she fulfils all our wishes. The worshiper feels a sense of peace and internal happiness, and can easily find the way to achieve salvation. Through the worship of this goddess, Lord Kartikeya can also be praised simultaneously.

!!... Goddess Katyayani ...!!

Goddess Katyayani

The daughter of sage Katyayan, who killed the demon Mahishasura
Goddess Katyayani

Goddess Durga is well-known among her devotees as Katyayani in her sixth form. Once upon a time, the great sage Kat had a son named Katya. The famous sage Katyayan was born into the family of Katya. Sage Katyayan wished to get the goddess as his daughter and with this purpose in view, he engaged himself in very strict meditation for a long period of time. In order to fulfill his wishes, goddess Durga took birth as his daughter, and came to be known as Katyayani. The physical appearance of this goddess is also similar to the other forms of Durga, like, she also bears the half-moon on her forehead, she wears plenty of ornaments studded with precious stones, and she has four hands. Her carrier is the lion, sitting on the back of lion, she assures us of fearlessness and giving boons through her right hands. On her left hands, she carries lotus flower and a sword.
The notorious demon Mahishasura had once attacked the heaven and had forced out all the gods from there. He had also started to torture the residents of all the three Lokas. To gain control over the situation, Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar formed a new powerful goddess who was a combination of the powers of all the three gods. Sage Katyayan was the first one to worship this female power, and hence, she came to be known as Katyayani. Later on, after she had killed Mahishasura, she became famous as Mahishasura Mardini Durga. She was originated on Ashwin Krishna Chaturdashi (the fourteenth day of the lunar cycle beginning from full-moon). She was worshipped by sage Katyayan till the seven, eighth and ninth day of her origin, and on the tenth day, had killed Mahishasura. Her physical appearance is very decent as well as pleasing. She is the deity of the Vraj Mandala. The Gopis of Vraj used to worship goddess Katyayani in order to get married to Lord Krishna.
The sixth night of the Navaratra is designated towards the worship of this goddess. In the state of West Bengal, the traditional Durga Puja begins on this day. This festival is celebrated with much grandeur in this state. The person, who worships this goddess, can easily acquire wealth, religion, desirable job and salvation. Her worship also helps us to get rid of all our sins accumulated over our previous births.

!!... Goddess Kalratri ...!!

Goddess Kal-Ratri

The goddess, as dark complexioned as the dark night, and the one who represses the evil power
Goddess Kalratri

The seventh power of the mother goddess Durga is also famed as Kalratri. Her complexion is so dark that it can be compared only with the darkest of nights, hence, she has been named so. The hair on her head is completely dishevelled, she has three round shaped blue eyes, the half-moon gloriously exists on her forehead, the goddess wears a necklace as bright as the lightning around her neck. She has four hands. With both her right hands, she assures fearlessness as well as boons to us. In her left hands, she carries Kharag (a type of sword), and a Paash (the snare). She sits on a donkey, as this animal is her carrier. She breathes out fire through her nostrils. Her appearance is terrible and very dark, but such an appearance always proves to be beneficial to those who are righteous in nature. Consequently, she is also known by the name of Shuvankari (one who does "shubh" or good to others).
The seventh night of the Navaratri festival is dedicated to goddess Kalratri, her true devotees are never afraid of anything. The goddess has such strong impact on evil forces, that any evil spirit, ghosts etc. leaves the place as soon as they get to know about Kalratri. At the same time, the goddess also helps to get rid of any negative effects of planetary motions. The devotees of Kalratri can always roam about anywhere fearlessly, there is no such power in the universe that can scare them. The goddess appears to be terrible only to those who are wicked, hypocrites and dishonest in nature; otherwise, her helpful and caring nature is always dedicated towards the wellness of others.

!!... Devi Mahagauri ...!!

Goddess Maha-Gauri

The eight year old young girl, with complexion as bright as the moon, who was determined to be the wife of Lord Shiva
Devi Mahagauri

Mahagauri is the eighth form of goddess Durga. She is only eight years old, but appears to be extremely beautiful and divine. She is highly fair complexioned, which can be compared only with conch-shell or moon light. She wears a lot of ornaments and has four hands. She carries a trishul (the trident) and a Damru (cornets) in both her hands; she makes a posture of granting dauntlessness as well as granting our wishes through her other two hands. The ox is the carrier of the goddess. She was advised by sage Narada, and thus, started worshiping Lord Shiva in order to get married to him. She practised such tough meditation that her complexion turned dark due to the extreme heat. Lord Shiva was satisfied by her prayer and got ready to grant her wish. He bathed the goddess with the purest form of water from the river Ganga, and consequently, her complexioned turned out to be as bright as lightning.
The eighth night of the Navaratra festival is dedicated to this goddess. On this day, goddess Durga is worshiped as Mahagauri. The devotee who whole-heartedly worships the goddess, is extremely beneficial from her kindness. He can get rid of all his sins that he might have performed during his previous birth. He would also be free from all sorts of poverty and sorrow by worshiping the goddess. The devotee becomes sanctified by the grace of the goddess, and can also achieve miraculous powers. The goddess also turns the impossible to be possible for her worshiper.

!!... Goddess Siddhidatri ...!!

Goddess Siddhidatri

The goddess who grants all our wishes
Goddess Siddhidatri (siddhi=accomplishment)

Last but not the least, the ninth form of goddess Durga is also known as Siddhidatri. As the name suggests, in this form, the goddess accomplishes all the desires of her devotee. The appearance of the goddess is very pleasant. She has four hands, and adorned with precious stone-crafted ornaments. She takes her seat on a lotus flower as well on the back of a lion. She bears rosary and the club on her right hands, while in her left hands, there are lotus flower and a conch shell.
According to the Markandeya Purana, the eight Siddhis are Anima, Mahima, Garima, Laghima, Prapti, Prakamya, Ishitwa and Washitwa. All these Siddhis or accomplishments are granted only by goddess Siddhidatri. There is nothing in this entire creation which cannot be accessed by the goddess.
Devi Bhagwat Purana narrates the fact that Lord Shiva had also achieved all the accomplishment due to her connection with the goddess. The united form of Shiva and the goddess is known as Ardhanarishwar (half of the goddess and half of Shiva). Any and every living thing present in the universe, like the Yaksha, the sages, human beings, demons, gods and so on get their wishes granted only by the grace of Siddhidatri.
The ninth day of the Navaratri festival is dedicated to goddess Siddhidatri, she is worshiped whole-heartedly observing all rituals and customss; she exists as the last power of goddess Durga. The devotee, who worships the goddess, can have absolute power over the entire universe. The goddess also fulfils all our desire, be it temporal or otherworldly.

Dakshina Char, Kaula Char and Divya Char

Different Ways of worship, in Shiva & Shakta Sect

description of Dakshinachar or Pashwachar, Kaulachar or Virachar and Siddhantachar or Divyachar

According to the different sources of Tantra, the various practises through which the worship of Shakti and Shiva can be performed are Dakshinachar (the practise related to righteousness), Vamachar (the practise which is unorthodox in nature) or Kulachar (the practise also related to Vamachar) and Divyachar (last and highest position). A brief description of these three practises arranged according to their importance to the Shakti worshippers are as follows:-

1. Dakshinachar or Pashwachar (Pashu-Achar, the custom concerned to the animal nature of human beings) : It involves practises such as worshipping in the day time, regular bathing habits, following pure and pious activities and also having vegetarian food habits, worshipping three times a day, strict ban on worshipping at night, using rudraksha rosary as an inevitable part of meditation, practising Brahmacharya, avoiding the use of non-vegetarian food items in worship and so on. It is compulsory to observe the rules of Brahmacharya in Dakshinachar, in other words, the accompaniment of wife can also be considered to be equivalent of practising Brahmacharya. It is absolutely restricted to worship with the items of Panch-Ma-kaar (namely, meat, fish, alcohol, posture and copulation). If need be, instead of directly using these components, their alternatives could be employed. This form of worship begins with certain animal expressions, but gradually the worshipper moves towards accomplishing his ultimate goal.

2. Vamachar : In this kind of practise, the worshipper does not have to observe any kind of restrictions, such as maintaining physical purity, taking bath regularly, etc., he is empowered to meditate in any place and under any circumstances that suits him the best. The most ideal time for worshipping is considered to be the middle of the night,. the deity is offered meat, alcohol and fish very regularly, the followers of this practise treat each and every individual with an equal point of view, they never discriminate human beings on the basis of caste, creed, religion or any other aspect.

3. Divyachar : It is also closely associated with Raja yoga or Vamachar.

These three religious practises together is termed as the trio of attributes, including the animal attribute, the fearless attribute and the divine attribute. Among these three attributes, the animal attributes are the oldest ones. Human beings are considered to be the most superior among all kinds of living beings, as they possess the capability to think, understand and applying intelligence. Until the human intelligence is developed to its highest possible level, he is considered to belong to the animal category. A person's knowledge level is usually measured by the amount of intellect he possesses. It is advisable to begin the process of worship from the very grass root level, which also coincides with the animal attribute. If a person tries to attempt whole-hearted devotion, the first and foremost factor would be to initiate the process by shedding off animal attributes. It is considered to be of the lowest category of all attributes, Goddess Tripur Sundari herself had described it as the worst as well as an all-despised attribute in the Bhaav Chudamani Tantra. Once the devotee attains the desired knowledge and gets rid of the darkness around him caused by ignorance, the animality present in him disappears. According to the old scriptures, the eight kinds of human nature that bears the indication of animality are : 1. hatred, 2. doubt, 3. fearfulness, 4. shame, 5. abhorrence, 6. ancestry, 7. modesty, and 8. communal feeling. The above mentioned human traits are the obstacles to the spiritual growth of human beings and hence should be avoided by all means. Thus, a worshipper at the initial stage of worship, who is trying to get rid of animal traits, should focus on being victorious over these negative character traits.

Hatred

Hatred is such a feeling that involves certain factors which do not appeal to our physical or mental being or even to our sense organs. If a person is averted to anything mortal or immortal, that is composed of Pancha-Tatva, that feeling would be referred to as hatred. It gives birth to pride and ego. A human heart always carries a feeling of either likeness or dislike for everything he comes across, as he is often unaware of the existence of the Eternal soul in every element.

Doubt

When the devotee reflects a feeling of suspicion towards others, it is termed as doubt. A common man, thoroughly engrossed in material possessions, entrapped in various worldly attractions, often takes resort to a wide range of dubious as well as manipulative activities, for his own development. In course of time, he cheats others, often tells lie, becomes proud of his own physical appearance, and consequently, starts doubting others, as he feels the people around him are also of certain distrustful characters.

Fearfulness

A common human being is very often attracted to his physique, his near and dear ones, his earthly possessions, his most desirable items, etc. and hence, he is always afraid of losing these things. He is often scared of the fact that he would have to let go of such material pleasures, but he is not worried about losing his soul, or his incapability to truly analyse his inner beings. He does not consider it to have any importance to learn more about himself.. At times, it may also happen that certain things, occurring in front of us may give rise to fearfulness.

Shame or bashfulness

A human heart often experiences the feeling of Honor and dishonour within his heart. Such a feeling may be termed as shyness or shame. We usually fail to realise that our physical existence is nothing but a blessed gift from the Divine Soul, and hence we should not be bothered about such petty feelings. Human beings are mortal in nature, and thus, the attributes of Honor or dishonour are should not bear any significance. Abhorrence
It involves the human characteristic of criticising others. It is quite a regular habit of human beings to find the flaws in the acts of others, while we often fail to blame ourselves for the mistakes done by us. Ancestry This points to the clan to which a human being is born. A person taking birth in a so-called high-class ancestry considers himself to belong to the upper echelon of the society, and looks down upon those born to some other ancestry. But this kind of feeling has a negative impact on the character of a human being as he starts discriminating among people on the basis of caste and creed. Modesty
Good manners or well-behaviour of a person gives rise to modesty. The attitude of a human being towards others, the services rendered by him, his each and every movement when he is with others-everything combines to be termed as modesty. Once the devotee can detach himself from such petty feelings of being modest, he becomes independent in all his judgements as well as activities. He does not need to worry anymore about the fact that the others might disapprove his behaviour. Community
If a human being is highly influenced by communal feelings, it will often bring a sense of differentiation in his heart. Soon he would start considering people to be of lesser or greater importance solely on the basis of caste difference. A person who makes such discrimination is considered to be grossly affected by animal attributes. We should always keep in mind that all four classes of human society, namely, Brahman (the priest), Kshatriya (the royalty), Vaishya (the trader) and Shudra (the untouchable) all are the offspring of the great creator, Lord Brahma.

If the devotee aims to achieve Shiva-tatwa (the willingness to merge with Lord Shiva), he ought to get rid of all the above mentioned negative features. If he is entrapped by any of these traits, if he is suffering from any mental disorder, he is by no means capable of continuing with his worship irrespective of time, place and surroundings. The heart should be pure, in order to possess equal mindedness, and to give rise to the feeling of sacrifice. Consequently, the purity of heart can only be achieved through sacrificing all the animal traits that often engulfs us. Once the devotee, beginning his journey from being possessed by animal attributes, wins over all the negative character traits as well as mental disabilities, he can move on to belong to Veer Bhaav (the gallant phase). Thus the devotee solely aims towards attaining success through this path.

Veer Bhaav (the gallant attribute) : Once the devotee achieves this attribute, he is expected to be completely aware of the negative impacts of the eight animal traits. At this stage, even though he is desperate to get rid of these traits, he does not easily succeed in doing so. Thus the devotee engages himself in purifying his body and soul and begins the journey towards gallantry. The prime focus of this attribute is that, in this method, the devotee does not find any difference between himself and his most favoured deity, i.e., through the process of his worship, he gradually possesses the same characteristics as his lord. It is one of the toughest modes of worshipping, one should seek the blessing of his master as well as should be led to the correct way by the master, otherwise it may prove to be detrimental to the worshipper. Some other names given to this mode of worshipping are Kulachar, Vamachar, Kaulachar, Veerachar (all related to ancestry or family or bravery of human beings) and so on. Simultaneously, the devotee should compulsorily be perseverance, it is not advisable to divert to any other path once the journey has started along this path, such diversion may lead to harmful consequences. A person should possess certain outstanding merits in order to be permitted to worship following the Veer Marg, which are, not to be affected by worries, to be absolutely fearless, not to be afraid of any kind of threats, ability to wander to any place at any given time, unaffected by shame or curiousness, devotion towards the study of Vedas and other ancient scriptures etc. The devotee has to include the symbolic Pancha-Tatwa in this phase of worship, which is also known as Pancha-ma-kaar.

Reason to Use of alcohol, fish, meat, female company or sex in Shiva and Shakta sets

Maharishi Vashishtha observed this path alone in order to attain accomplishment from the blue-complexioned goddess Tara Maha Vidya. Initially, he was advised by his father Lord Brahma to worship goddess Tara following the vedic rituals, but even after doing the same for thousands of years, he could not be successful. It angered him so much that he cursed the Tara Mantra (the holy chant to praise goddess Tara). Afterwards, he was guided by a divine oracle, and went to visit China and to meet Lord Buddha. There, he received knowledge about Kulagam (the advent of the clan), and simultaneously, was blessed to view the holy image of the goddess. In this way, he also got his much desired accomplishment. As mentioned earlier, the devotee is expected to follow the path of Pancha-Ma-kaar vidhi consisting of five essential elements namely 1. Alcohol, 2. Meat, 3. Fish, 4. Hand Gestures, 5. Copulation. Together, they are also known as Kul-Dravya. Usually, other than the posture (including hand gestures and Chavarn Anna or Snacks), all the other five elements are considered to be stigmatised. In fact, those belonging to the Vaishnava community treat these materials to be the sole reason of sin. The consumption of alcohol is considered to be one of the worst sins. In spite of this fact, these things have been used in the worship of gods since time immemorial. Kulachar is just one of the ways of substantiation, in this path, the devotee is guided towards being independent and unleashing his inner soul through the penetration of the eight negative character traits. The Pancha-Ma-Kaar vidhi is not to be applied for the self-satisfaction of the devotee, he can never grow habitual to these, he is only supposed to offer these materials to the deity he praises before his intake, as these are meant to be included in prayer, not for the enjoyment of the worshipper. Even though these might be very much favoured by him, he should never get addicted to these, and the ability of the worshipper not to be distracted by these attractions proves his culmination.

The use of alcohol, meat, fish etc. in the worship of gods as well in the yajnas offered to the ancestors, which are performed by the Shaiva's (the community following Lord Shiva) and the Shakti community can be frequently seen since ancient times. According to Rig Veda, the violence through killing which is caused by actions related to gods or ancestors, are not considered to be sinful acts. According to the Kularnava Tantra (the tantra that narrates Kaul or knowledge of the clans), it is justified in the ancient scriptures that if a devotee consumes meat or alcohol after offering the same to the deity, he would not be committing any sin. On the other hand, the consumption of meat or alcohol without offering it in any fire sacrifice, is categorised into transgression. If the devotee consumes any of the Kula Dravyas, after it has been offered to his master or deity or has been purified by the chanting of certain mantras, he can find salvation from the bonding of the mortal world, and becomes free from any guilt. To sum it up all, after the ordination in the Kaula Marg, the consumption of fish, meat, alcohol etc., without including those in the worship of gods, is considered to be sinful.

Reason behind the consumption of alcohol, meat, fish etc. : Usually, alcohol is categorised as a malicious item, but in the group of the various kind of addictions, it is the most superior of all. Human beings who are addicted in any kind of hard drinks, forget about themselves and loses control over their mind. It does not make a person lazy, in fact, it is said to have special power to make a man even more active.

If a person is unable to be determined enough to get rid of the trap set by his bad habits, he can take resort to drinking alcohol as medicine in order to exercise control or to completely remove himself from the entrapment. Consumption of alcohol helps to focus our mind in a much concentrated manner during meditation, and thus, it is mostly used by the Shakti worshippers. Under any circumstance, the worshipper can concentrate entirely upon his prime goal. In reality, once the worshipper gets drunk, he forgets everything about his surroundings as well as himself, and also becomes free from all kind of worries, thus it becomes easier for him to focus more on his meditation. Alcohol is a fervently exciting element, it is usually consumed in combination with meat, fish, etc. This is done in order pacify the poisonous quality present in alcohol. It should also be kept in mind that consumption of alcohol must be complemented with nutritious food items as well, otherwise it may cause death of the human being. On the other hand, alcohol or any other addictive thing, when combined with meat and other non-vegetarian food, adds vigour and power to a human character. The root cause of being attracted to the female : It is believed that desire, attraction or lust towards the female is the main hindrance in the Sadhan Marg (the way of worship), but, at the same time, human beings cannot emerge victorious over this vice just by staying away from female company. A person, who is so deeply engrossed in love, forgets the difference between correct and incorrect and acts in an arbitrary manner. Thus, it is considered to be the best option to free oneself from lust, love,desire etc. while staying in close relation with female power. The offering of various materials to the god is not the only mode of worship, it also involves the complete satisfaction of the god. We must remember that all the elements have been created by the Eternal. Hence, Pancha-Ma-Kaar Marg leads to the ultimate sacrifice of all the desirable elements, while consuming as well as enjoying those. It is highly desirable for the devotee to be truthful and honest, if he has been demoralised, has disobeyed his master, or loses the purity of his soul, he would in no time follow the path to sin.

According to the Shakti Sangam Tantra, the female chosen for the purpose of copulation should necessarily be a follower of all rites and rituals, should be an ardent believer in god, should have faith in chanting mantras and other sort of divine works. If the devotee gets carried away just by looking at any female, it may cause terrible harm to him. If he maintains relation with a female who is disloyal, is not attentive towards family values or religious matters, he will never be able to accomplish his goal. The female should be praised before establishing any relationship with her, she should not be resented and so on. If a person enjoys female company only for the sake of his self-satisfaction, he would soon find his way to hell. The devotee should abstain himself from the usage of other people's objects, food, wives etc. He can also maintain the purity of his character by not participating in gossipping about others.

The main purpose of observing Pancha-ma-Kaar path.

This mode of worship is solely meant for praising ones most favoured deity, it should never be applied for self-satisfaction or personal enjoyment. This method may lead to free oneself from all kinds of substantial pleasures. Common people always find happiness in being engrossed in petty worldly possessions, and desire to obtain even more. In this way, he soon gets enslaved by such things. But a devotee, who has successfully achieved the gallant attribute, can easily stay away from all such provocations, he has not right to engage himself in any worldly matters, he should always be open-minded towards all beliefs, and should never give in to any kind of permanent habits. While copulating with a female, it should not affect his mind or soul, he should be influenced by love or lust. Similarly, while consuming alcohol, meat, fish etc., his physical existence should not come under any bad influence caused by these. The devotee should be fully conscious even while consuming alcohol.

In reality, these five so-called vices help human beings to get rid of the trap laid by the eight negative character traits as mentioned earlier. Through the practice of Pancha-ma-kaar methods, one can develop a sense of detachment towards all the material pleasures, even while enjoying those. A human being is referred to as a common living thing until he can overcome his petty desires, attachment towards earthly possessions, and the pride of his physical being. Once he moves above such trivial matters, he becomes equalised to the ultimate lord. The sole purpose of Shakti worship is to gain oneness among Shiva, all creations and all theories. According to this theory, the human being is treated as a temple, where, Lord Shiva resides in the form of self-revelation. Unless the devotee is free from all his greed and desires, he would never be able to feel the presence of Sada-Shiv within himself. Thus, it is only through following the Pashu-bhaav or Veer-bhaav that enables people to graduate into successful devotee. Following the Veer-bhaav is one of the toughest way of worship. It not only includes worship through the five vices, but the devotee practically needs to be gallant as well. The devotee needs to be completely unbiased towards each and every thing around him that are composed of the five basic elements, he is not in a position to judge anything on the basis of being superior or inferior. In this manner, he treats all the so-called inferior things, such as, dead bodies or corpses, faeces, human excreta, female seminal fluid, bones, rotten components etc. from an indifferent perspective, thus finding the true meaning of his inner soul as well as the existence of Brahm within oneself. He has to behave like a bold and fearless warrior under all circumstances. He should not be afraid of any situation, like even if he has to visit the burial grounds, forests, river banks, deserted temples or any such desolate place for the purpose of worship at the dead of night.

According to Gyanarnav Tantra, Lord Shiva once narrated to his wife Parvati that the purity of everything can be achieved only through the attainment of complete knowledge. While water is considered to be the residing place for many gods, then for no reason urine should be treated as a matter of disgust, as it is also formed of water alone. The intake of Gau-mutra (the urine of cow) can rid us from the sin of consuming beef or killing of the Brahman etc., thus proving the fact that Gau-mutra can even purify the worst of the sinners. Hence, considering urine as an unholy thing is absolutely illogical. The female seminal fluid is the most important component for the creation of life, and it is through this human body that one can achieve the ultimate goal. It is said that human birth is possible after passing through the creation of 84 thousand species, and this birth is necessary for attaining salvation. Hence, we should not develop any feeling of hatred towards female seminal fluid. On the other hand, the male seminal fluid helps in the formation of the seven present in human body that is symbolic to Shiva. If it so happens that the devotee harbours a sense of discrimination towards certain elements, he does so only because of his ignorance, and thus he commits sin. For instance, when a human baby takes birth from its mother's womb, it is very likely that each and every part of its body is in close contact with the mother's vagina, and it even includes the male genital organ. But since, at that time, the baby is not in its senses, it is not considered as a crime. But, as he grows up, and his mind is full of lust and he tries to perform certain mischievous acts with his mother citing the reason that while taking birth, his body has already been in contact with his mother's genitals, then that person displays a sense of perversion and he would be a sinner too. Desire is the root cause of all the guilty feelings, and through trying to achieve the gallant attribute, the devotee actually tries to get rid of any kind of desire. Any object which is easily and regularly available, soon loses its attraction, for e.g., if a person consumes meat on a daily basis, he would no longer be attracted to eating meat. Similarly, the main purpose of pancha-ma-kaar sadhana is to encourage the devotee to develop a sense of complete distraction towards these five vices. This method of worship converts the vices described in the holy scriptures into golden virtues. It helps to remove the trap laid by the eight negative character traits and to free the soul from all desires. Once the devotee is free from all such passions, he does not need to pay any attention towards the worldly pleasures that cause temporary satisfaction. Through the freedom of the soul, he achieves a divine spirit.

Thus, to sum it up all, in the very beginning, the devotee starts meditation through the animal attributes and strengthens his physical existence as well as guides his mind entirely towards the thought of his favoured deity, followed by which he starts practicing the gallant attribute. In this phase, he gets rid of any sense of discrimination, hatred etc. and develops a sense of equality towards all elements, thus feeling the presence of the divine soul within himself. He also sheds off his feelings of shame, worry, fear and so on and thus unleashes himself. Finally, he achieves the divine feel and finds the existence of god in himself and everything surrounding him.

Durga, Shatakshi, Shakumbhari

Powerful incarnations of Adhya Shakti
She who killed giant demon Durgamasur

Goddess Durga

Trigunatmak Mahamaya Mahashakti Adya Shakti

Mahamaya, one who can mesmerize the entire universe, Yogmaya, the destructive passionate power who was created as a consequence of the yogic sleep of Lord Vishnu, Durga, the female power created in order to diminish the tyranny of the demon named Durgam, Kaali, the power having the capability of devouring even the existence of Kaal or time, Taara, the power who helps attain salvation from the cycle of birth and death, Parvati or Sati, the spouse of Lord Shiva - these are the different names which are used to refer to the divine goddess Adhya Shakti Kali. This great power has always resolved all sorts of problems and critical situations of gods as well as human beings. She is the spouse of Lord Shiva, and simultaneously, the inner power of Lord Vishnu. She has made appearance and has achieved fame in several different forms of incarnation, which include Tri-devi’s (the three goddesses) or the great goddesses, the Mahavidyas, Navadurgas, Siddha Vidyas, Yoginis and many more.

Usually, Goddess Durga has been viewed in two different forms in ancient Hindu religion- in one form, she bears ten hands while in the other, she has eight hands. She sits on her carrier, which is a lion or a tiger, and kills the Asuras or demons. She looks graceful as well as gorgeous in priceless ornaments, beautiful saree, gold crown and a crescent moon. But in reality, she reflects an image of anger or fearfulness. In her ten hands, she bears various types of weapons, and she is known to rescue us from grave danger when her devotees face any trouble.

The tale narrating the advent of Goddess Durga and the rigorous meditation of the demon Durgam

Durgamasur, son of demon Ruru, was born in the family of Hiranyaksha. Since the ancient times, the Vedas have been considered to be the chief source of power of all the gods. So, in order to curtail the power of the gods, Durgamasur aimed at satisfying lord Brahma, and with this purpose in his view, the demon went to the Himalayas to engage himself in meditation. He meditated there for 1000 long years, and as a consequence, all living beings in all the three Lokas were deeply afflicted. Afterwards, Lord Brahma rode on the back of his carrier Swan and went to the place where the demon was busy meditating. He told the demon to ask for any special boon. Durgamasur wanted to defeat all the gods. With this purpose in mind, the demon asked Brahma to provide him with all the Vedas and Mantras (holy chants). Brahma agreed his wish and returned back to his Satya Lok. As soon as his wish was granted, the Brahmins and the gods lost their power over the Vedas and the Mantras. Simultaneously, all the holy practices performed by them, such as, Snana (holy bathing), Hom (offering to god), worship, chanting etc. lost their significance. In this way, the entire universe faced a disastrous situation, even the gods started getting aged and powerless, and because of they don't get out anything. Seeing such poor condition of the gods, Durgamasur began to attack the Amaravati, where the gods used to live. The gods lost all their power, and hence decided it best to escape from Heaven. They started taking shelter in the various caverns of mountains and began to worship Adhya Shakti to seek her blessings to be rescued from such critical condition.

The tale narrating the reason behind Goddess Bhuvaneshwari being famed as Shatakshi (one who has a hundred eyes) and also as Shakumbhari for providing fruits, roots and leafy vegetables to gods.

Since the practice of all the ancient rituals had come to an abrupt end, there was absolute scarcity of rain all over the world, and consequently, the lands became excessively dry and there was hardly any presence of water. Such a desert-like condition prevailed for a very long time. Such a shortage of water caused the death of thousands of living beings, and the death toll kept on rising. In order to control the situation, the rest of the human beings as well as brahmins went to the Himalayas and started worshiping the origin of all powers, goddess Jagadamba, through meditations, worships, trances etc. Goddess Jagadamba was the chief controller of the entire universe. She is the creator of this motile as well as immobile world, her contribution in this creation can be felt both directly and indirectly. Afterwards, pleased by the united prayers of the brahmins and other human beings, goddess Bhuvaneshwari, who rules over the whole world (bhuvan), appeared with her deep-set blue eyes, broad as the lotus petals. Her idol could be compared to black colored kajal (soot), her eyes were broad, she looked very strict, and she had shapely round breasts. She was carrying in her hands a handful of arrows, a huge bow, lotus flower, flower petals, roots, fruits, and green leafy vegetables necessary to renew aging process. Goddess Bhuvaneshwari, who was the ultimate word in the world of beauty, who appeared as bright as a thousand sun, started raining in all the three Lokas through her deep-set eyes. Such heavy rain continued for nine long days. She was so upset seeing the poor condition of the living things that she continued to shed her tears for the nine days, and thus, all the plants and animals were relieved after a long time; all the seas and rivers and other water bodies were overflowing with water. Henceforth, this incarnation of the goddess came to be known as Shatakshi. Following this event, that brought back peace in everybody's life, all the gods hiding in the caverns had reappeared. They also joined hands with the brahmins to offer their prayers to the goddess in order to regain their control over the Vedas. All these worshipers were very much down with hunger and thirst. Hence, goddess Shatakshi offered them the fruits and vegetables to eat. It also included food for animal beings. From her this kindly gesture, she came to be known as Shakumbhari.

The tale narrating the killing of Durgamasur and retrieving the Vedas which caused her to be famed as Durga.

The messenger of Durgamasur informed him about all such happenings, following which he prepared himself with all his weapons and led all his soldiers to fight against the goddess. He made use of such an arm as a result of which the gods and the brahmins surrounding the goddess became trapped and immovable. In such a situation, they started shouting for help, and at once, the goddess came out to rescue them. She created a ring of fire around them so that they could not be harmed. A dangerous and fierce battle took place between the demon and the goddess. Afterwards, the great female powers residing within the body of the goddess started coming out. They were Kaali, Tarini or Tara, Bala, Tripura, Bhairavi, Rama, Bagala, Matangi, Kamakshi, Tulajadevi, Jamvini, Mohini, Chhinnamasta, Guhyakali, Tripur sundari and the goddess herself with her ten thousand hands. In the beginning, the above mentioned sixteen goddesses, followed by thirty two more, then sixty four more and finally infinite number of formations of the goddess appeared with their weapons and fought with the demon. Within ten days, all the soldiers of the demon were killed and then on the eleventh day, the final phase of the battle took place between the goddess and the demon. The demon was severely injured by the attack of the goddess and began to vomit blood. In a short time, he breathed his last in front of the goddess. After his death, the power entrapped within his body was seen to enter the body of the goddess. Thus, the demon found refuge within the goddess after his death.

Followed by this victory of the goddess, Lord Brahma and all the other gods, led by Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu, started worshiping the goddess wholeheartedly. The goddess was very impressed with the united effort of the gods, who were offering their prayers using different holy materials. Henceforth, she came to be known as Durga.

She also returned back the Vedas to the brahmins. This narration describes the sixteen hidden powers residing within the goddess. They are also termed as the Mahavidyas. In the ancient scripture named Devi Bhagwat Purana, there is the mention of sixteen Mahavidyas instead of ten. Usually, the goddess Adi Shakti is well known by the name of Durga among her devotees. There is hardly any soul who is not familiar with the name of Durga, the goddess who rescues from the gravest of dangers.

The prominence of Mahishasura Mardini Durga from the united power of all the gods.

The notorious demon Mahishasura, who was born in the womb of a buffalo, was terribly powerful and indomitable. He had defeated all the gods and had declared himself to be the ruler of all the three Lokas. He had seized the rights of the gods and had resisted them from staying in the heaven. He began to enjoy all sorts of facilities, depriving the gods. Under such a pitiful condition, the gods, led by Lord Brahma, went to Lord Shiva and Vishnu to find a solution. Listening to their grievances, the Lords grew terribly angry. Lord Vishnu produced a power as bright as a thousand splendid suns. Followed by this, bright power also began to emerge from the body of other gods to form a new super-power. The god Indra and others gave out power to satiate the chief of the gods, the power emitted from Lord Shiva formed the face, the power of Yamraj (the god of death) helped to form hair, Lord Vishnu gave his power to form the arms, the power of the Moon god formed the breasts, the power emitted by Indra created the waist, the power of Varuna formed the thigh, the buttocks were formed by the power of the Earth, the two feet by the power of Lord Brahma, the toes by the power of the Sun god, and the fingers were formed by the power of the eight Vasus. The god of wealth Kuber emitted his power to form the nose, the teeth were formed by the Prajapati, the three eyes by the power of the Fire god, the eyebrows by Sandhya, the wind god helped to form the ears. In this way, the united power of all the gods gave birth to a super-power, who in turn, was famed as Mahishasura Mardini after killing the demon Mahishasura.

Mahisasur Mardini Durga

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Narakasura, the king of Pragjotishpur & devotee of Goddess Kamakhya

The great devotee of Goddess Kamakhya, the ruler of the ancient city Pragjotishpur

Sculptures on walls of Kamakhya Temple

Pragjyotishpur : The ancient state of Pragjyotishpur is presently renowned as the city of Guwahati in Assam. Pragjyotishpur was once ruled by Narakasura as well as his son, Bhagadatta. Bhagadatta's daughter Bhanumati was married to the eldest of the Kauravas, Duryodhana. Due to this reason, Bhagadatta, along with the Kirat Sena (army of kirats), took the side of the Kauravas in the great battle of Kurukshetra. As mentioned in the Kaalika Puran, Lord Brahma, the creator of the Universe, formed the stars and planets staying in this place only. In the previous times, this place was an important center of studying astrology, tantra and various other secret theories. Narakasur was one of the eminent devotees of Goddess Kamakhya. He killed the Kirat king Ghatak to capture the state of Pragjyotishpur.

Pragjotishpur ancient name of Guwahati, kingdom of Narakasura

Narakasura was the son of Varaha (the boar), the twelfth incarnation of Narayan or Lord Vishnu, who is the caregiver of the universe. Narakasura was reared by the mother Earth, who was earlier protected by Lord Vishnu in the form of Varaha. Narakasura belonged to the community of Asura (the demons), but the teachings and company, that he acquired from the sage kind Janak, inculcated in him all the qualities of a Arya Bhawa (humanities). Narakasura worshiped Lord Vishnu through much hardship and won the boons of immortality as well as overall wellness. In the very beginning, Lord Vishnu had notified him that for the purpose of expanding his kingdom, he would be blessed with a son towards the end of the Dwapar era (the third eon). But he should always pay his regards and respect to the gods and brahmins, should behave decently towards them, should never abuse or insult them by his demonic attitude. He should always devote himself towards the adoration of Goddess Kamakhya, otherwise he might be destroyed. Narakasura never failed to obey Lord Vishnu, and as a result, he was always blessed with the possession of enormous wealth. His kingdom also kept expanding and it existed through the Treta and the Dwapar era (the second and the third eons according to Hindu belief).

His friendship with the son of King Bali Vanasura and cause of fall

Towards the end of the Dwapar era, Narakasura became friends with Vanasura, the son of King Bali. Vanasura had all the inferior qualities of demons and he hated all the gods and brahmins. Such poor nature of Vanausra also affected Narakasura and he also turned malevolent. He started torturing the innocent inhabitants of the three Lokas (Heaven, Earth and Hades) and also killing them. Seeing the awful massacre caused by him, everybody became terrified. He defeated Lord Indra and stole away the Kundala (helix) of mother Goddess Aditi. He defeated Arun to snatch away his disciples. All the gods were so much affected by the terror of the demon that they prayed to Lord Brahma to solve their problem and to restore their normal lives. Lord Brahma advised them to praise Shri Vidya Mata Tripur Sundari or Goddess Kamakhya, so that she could be their savior. This was because she was the protector Narakasura's kingdom and he had ruled under her. Afterwards, all the gods started worshiping the goddess, through which she was quite pleased and assured them to save their lives.

Curse of Sage Vashishtha

Sage Vashishtha used to worship in the Sandhyachal hills that lay in the kingdom of Narakasura. One day, he came to visit the shrine of the Mother Goddess. Since at this time, Narakasura was entirely under the influence of Vanasura, he expressed his grudge towards the goddess and prevented the sage from visiting the goddess. Consequently, Sage Vashishtha cursed him that the goddess would no longer stay in his kingdom. Narakasura was no longer favored by the goddess. It was true that he was born to Lord Vishnu and grew up under the guidance of the Mother Earth, and Lord Vishnu had also blessed him to rule over his huge kingdom for a long period of time. But later, as he was distracted from the path of honesty, Goddess Kamakhya joined hands with the other gods and punished him by getting him killed by Lord Vishnu alone.

Killing of Narakasura and end of his kingdom

Pragjyotishpur is considered to be residence of Goddess Kamakhya. A magnificent temple has been erected for her worship. Initially, Kaamdev got the temple built by the artist of the gods, Vishwakarma, and it came to be known as the Anandakhya temple. It is also believed that Narakasura had also erected a temple for the goddess in this place, which used to be his place of worship and area of residence as well. The four entrances to the temple, namely, the Vyaghradwar (the tiger door), the Hanumantdwar (the Hanumant door), the Swargdwar (the door to heaven) and the Singhadwar (the door of the lion) was also constructed by him. The construction of these four entrances has also a story behind it. Once, the goddess displayed her spellbinding and attractive hue to Narakasura, as a result of which, the demon was overwhelmed and wished to own her as his wife. Goddess Kamakhya had the only goal of killing the demon, and as a part of her plan, she put forward a strange proposal in his front. She suggested that if the demon could construct four concrete path ways to the four directions of the hills, and also a grand resting place for the goddess, and all these within the time period of only one night, the goddess would agree to become his wife, and failing to do so, he would have to die. The proposal also involved the condition that the work would have to be finished even before the crack of the dawn, i.e., before the crowing of the earliest rooster. The proud Narakasura was pretty confident of his capability and he at once agreed to the proposal. The construction work began at once at lightning speed. The goddess noticed the speed of the work and was alarmed that Narakasura might be able to fulfill the condition quite easily. So she decided to play a trick and ordered the rooster to crow early even before the daybreak. The rooster followed suit. Narakasura was aghast at such a situation and he started chasing the rooster in order to get it killed. Finally, he crossed the river Brahmaputra, got hold of the rooster and killed it. Afterwards, Lord Vishnu, with the aid of the goddess, killed the demon and freed the residents of the three worlds from their extreme fear. Till today, four pathways lead to the Kamakhya temple on the Nilanchal hills, and these were built by the demon Narakasura.

Kamakhya Temple

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