The Bhairabi Temple is located on the outskirts of
Tezpur
Tezpur () is a city and urban agglomeration in Sonitpur district, Assam state, India. Tezpur is located on the banks of the river Brahmaputra, northeast of Guwahati, and is the largest of the north bank cities with a population exceeding 100, ...
of
Sonitpur District
Sonitpur district ron: ˌsə(ʊ)nɪtˈpʊə or ˌʃə(ʊ)nɪtˈpʊəis an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. The district headquarters is located at Tezpur.
Etymology
The name of the is derived from a mythological story f ...
in
Assam, India
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur to ...
.
History
The Goddess
Bhairavi
Bhairavi ( sa, भैरवी) is a Hindu goddess, described as one of the Mahāvidyas, the ten avatars of the mother goddess. She is the consort of Bhairava.
Etymology
The name ''Bhairavi'' means "terror" or "awe-inspiring". She is th ...
is worshipped here as she is one of the
Mahavidyas
The ''Mahavidya'' ( sa, महाविद्या, , lit. ''Great Wisdoms'') are a group of ten Hindu Tantric goddesses. The 10 Mahavidyas are usually named in the following sequence: Kali, Tara, Tripura Sundari, Bhuvaneshvari, Bhairavi , ...
of Maa
Durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around c ...
Devi. It is a very important
Shakti Peeth
The Shakti Pitha or the Shakti Peethas ( sa, शक्ति पीठ, , ''seat of Shakti'') are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the goddess-centric denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various for ...
of Assam. The backdrop of the temple is a view looking towards the
Kolia Bhomora Setu
Kolia Bhomora Setu, an existing bridge completed in 1987, is a 3.015 km long pre-stressed concrete road bridge on NH-715 over the Brahmaputra River in Tezpur Assam state of India, which connects Tezpur in Sonitpur district on northern ban ...
across the
Brahmaputra River. The temple site is also locally known ''Bhairabi Devalaya''. Legend has it that Usha (daughter of mighty Asura King
Banasura
Bana, also referred to as Banasura (), is an asura king in Hindu mythology, ruling from the city of Śoṇitapura. He is described to be the son of Mahabali. His tale of battling Krishna is described in the Bhagavata Purana.
Legend
A mighty ...
) regularly came here for the worshipping of the Goddess.
About a couple of kilometres away lie the Bamuni Hills where one can view the ruins of the palace that stood many centuries ago. The art work on stone carvings that were used within the structure are from the 9th century. Likewise, the 400-year-old Bhairabi temple has tilted slightly and a nearby building suffered damage to the west and south sides of the second and third stories and cracked the pillars and an unhinged roof due to an earthquake. Following the damage, religious ceremonies or daily prayers have come to a halt.
Geography
Bhairabi temple is situated close to
Bharali river.
Management
The temple is managed by the government through the office of the District Deputy Commissioner and the temple belongs to the family of the Borthakur's of Tezpur (Shri Dilip Borthakur, Shri Barenya Ranjan Barthakur, and Shri Aditya Prakash Barthakur). There are sacrificial offerings of goats, ducks, pigeons, etc. that still occurs regularly here. The Durga Puja celebration is performed in a very grand way in this temple.
The entrance to the temple is through a very long staircase that leads up from the approach road to the temple itself. There are numerous facilities for the purchase of ghee lamps, sweets and fruits etc. that are offered during prayers for blessings. This is really a place of scenic beauty and a path towards The Divine. The temple is a sidhapitha where people offering prayer and fulfill their wants with the blessings of Maa Bhairabi.
[Kundalini Aghora II by Robert E. Svoboda Chapter, Eight Immortals, Page 212]
See also
*
Mahabhairav Temple
*
:Hindu temples in Assam
*
Tezpur
Tezpur () is a city and urban agglomeration in Sonitpur district, Assam state, India. Tezpur is located on the banks of the river Brahmaputra, northeast of Guwahati, and is the largest of the north bank cities with a population exceeding 100, ...
*
Agnigarh
*
Dah Parvatiya
Da Parbatia is a small village very close to west Tezpur, in the Indian State of Assam. In the village there are significant architectural remnants of an ancient temple of the 6th century overlying the ruins of another Shiva temple built of bric ...
References
Hindu temples in Assam
Durga temples
Tezpur
Hindu temples practicing animal sacrifice
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