BAAM,
I would be better off remembering that Santayana's quote. Thank you very much!
Bagya,
I do not intend to question the scholarship of Thiru A.M.Rajagopalan. Without criticizing or contradicting anybody, I am putting down here the following information available with me:
There exists a city in India with the name, "Prag Jyothishya Pura" (Prag = eastern, Jyothishya=astrology, Pura=town), which till date very proudly advertises its legacy of Narakasura and Bhagadatta. This beautiful city located on the banks of the River Brahmaputra (which in itself is spectacular), is a state capital and the headquarters of a District called Kamarupa, and is also the gateway to the north-eastern India.
While being a concrete jungle like any other city in India with its pubs, restaurants, discos, shopping malls, medical & engineering colleges including an IIT, and apartment-complexes, the city also lodges 14 hillocks, 11 dense forests, and three wetlands (out of which, one, Deepar Bil, happens to be a Ramsar Site). The city's 12 lakh people share space with about 1,500 wildlife species including rare birds, the highest for any urban centre across the globe.
Amongst the 14 hillocks of the city is the Nilachal Hill (= Indraneela Parvatha of the Narakasura story). A neighbouring hillock, Narakasura Hill, has the remnants of a fort, which the locals say was the fort of Narakasura.
The hillock, however, is more famous for Kamakhya, a Shakthi Peetham (=where Shiva's consort Sati's private part is said to have fallen after the Daksha Yajna). It is a site for Tantric worship for both Hindus and Buddhists (Vajrayana). Kamakhya, dated to 2nd / 3rd Century A.D., contains a Yoni image (covered with a cloth and flowers since it is a private part), worshipped with meat and alcohol. The sacrifices are carried out by the Pandas (=Brahmins) of the temple. Human sacrifice was in vogue till the 1920s, whereupon the British Collectors of the area took stringent measures to stop it. Not withstanding this, even now people dread to venture into the temple during the night. Incidentally, B.B.C. covered the practice of 'Nara Bali' at Kamakhya in one of its programs.
Kamkhya Temple:
South Indians visiting the temple usually get put off by the gore (=Vamachara, or the "left-handed worship"), and also get dissatisfied because they could not get a glimpse of "the diety" (not knowing that there is really no "diety" there; only an image of the Yoni, which is covered up).
Sri Sri Jayendra Saraswathi was here in 1997-98 for about 15 days. During his stay, he also inaugurated and consecrated a Kamakoti Peetham owned temple-complex called Purva Thirupathi Balaji Mandir in the same city, which later became quite popular. Purva Thirupathi Balaji Mandir's affairs today are being looked after by Mr.Subramanyam, who happens to be a Tambram who retired as the DGP of the state.
Holiest of the days in Kamakhya is the Ambuvasi Amavasya, which is supposed to be the period of the Goddess menstruating. The temple pond becomes red, and so does the cloth covering the Yoni image (I personally think this is because of the blood from the animal sacrifices). Tantrics from all over India converge on these days at Kamakhya, and every cave, nook and corner on the hill-top is filled with intoxicated Tantrics with their matted hair and Trishuls. The stained cloth becomes a prized possession, and its pieces are distributed amongst officials, politicians, V.V.I.P.s etc.
Tantrics at Kamakhya:
In general, the District of Kamarupa carries a reputation for witchcraft. There is also a rival to the Kamakhya temple in the same District known as Madana Kamadev, where phallus-worship is practiced. There also exists an area called Mayang (Maya + Ang) in Kamarupa where, even in these modern times, people are hesitant to venture because of the fear of witchcraft.
Madana Kamadev:
Most temples in Kamarupa are of the 'Bila' type (underground caves) including Kamakhya, Umananda, etc. The Gopuram which you are seeing in one of the above pictures, is actually an entrance to the underground cave of the Kamakhya, which is quite dark & damp inside and may scare you if you are claustrophobic (you will find eerie characters sitting inside by dozens). You also find Goddesses such as Ugra Tara, who are not usually worshipped in Satvic Hinduism, being worshipped in these parts. Even in malls, shopping complexes, and residences of its denizens, Yoni image gets worshipped (which is actually awkward to get used to in the beginning for an outsider). You would usually notice an Old Monk rum bottle infront of the image, and on auspicious days, some animal meat kept in a plantain leaf.
The city also contains the earliest seat of astrology (=hence "Jyothishyapura"), the Navagraha Temple, on the top of another hillock, the Chitrachal. A Vaishnavite (=Satvic) shrine, the Ashram of Vasistha (pronounced as 'Bosistha', as 'v'-s become 'b'-s, and 'a'-s become 'o'-s in the east Indian languages), which presents very serene surroundings, is also in the city.
Since the said city contains a big betelnut ("Guwa") market ("Haat"), it has come to be called in modern times as Guwahati (= betelnut market). The most recent National Games (33rd - 2007) were held there! You would find the names "Prag" and "Pragjyothish" everywhere in the city, and the two Assam Tourism Department's river cruisers which are used for taking around the tourists over the River Brahmaputra are named as "Narakasura" and "Bhagadatta."
If you deny this rich folklore of an Indian State, and instead place Pragjyothishyapura in Iraq, I am sure you would be causing huge resentment in Assam ;-). I hope no Assamese Brahmin visits this forum!
Please visit Assam when you come next time to India. I promise that the trip will be worthwhile! For more information, visit the following link.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guwahati[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]As far as Kapila's Ashram is concerned, it is said to be near Thirupathi at Kapilatheertham on the way to Thirumala. As for California, it derives its name from the mythological queen of Black Amazonians, Queen Califia, and certainly not from the sage Kapila.[/SIZE]
