Kamapitha

Kamapitha is one of the four Kamarupa Pithas, the geographical divisions of ancient Kamarupa. Dineshchandra Sircar points out that these divisions are not found in the Kamarupa inscriptions and that they might be fabrications from late medieval sources,[1] such as 16th-century work Yogini Tantra gives the boundaries of Kamapitha and other three pithas, the same work which gives boundaries of ancient Kamrup kingdom as well.[2][3] The eastern border of Kamarupa was the temple of the goddess Tamreshvari (Pūrvāte Kāmarūpasya devī Dikkaravasini, given in the 10th-century Kalika Purana) near present-day Sadiya[4]

The extent of Kamapitha according to different authors.

Boundaries

Traditional sources defines boundaries of Kamapitha as area between Manas river and Silghat,[5] Sankosh and Kapili river,[6] based on ancient work Yogini Tantra, areas comprising western boundary of current Kamrup and part of Nagaon district as eastern boundary, in first case, while in second case, Undivided Kamrup plus small part of Undivided Goalpara District.

Modern scholarship, considering change in course of rivers, gives Kamapitha area as Guwahati area up to the Manas River,[7] which is Kamrup, as Kamapitha. Pratap Chandra Choudhury, has no difficulty in accepting that Kamapitha of Tantras, is nothing else than Kamrup and Kamakhya area of Guwahati itself.[8] Kamarupa Anusandhan Samiti, also presses that it is rather absurd, to exclude Kamakhya from the region called Kamapitha.[9]

SourceWesternEasternCurrent regionsReference
Yogini-tantraKaratoyaSankoshNorth BengalGait 1906, pp10–11, Sircar 1990, p68
-ManasSilghatKamrup, parts of DarrangSircar 1990, p68
Kamrupar BuranjiSankoshDuimunisilaParts of Goalpara, Kamrup and parts of NagaonBhuyan 1930, p1
Hara-gauri-samvadaSankoshKapiliParts of Goalpara, Kamrup and parts of NagaonKakati 1967, p7
VrihadgavakashtantraManasBiswanathKamrup and DarrangKAS 1985, p100
R M NathManasGuwahatiKamrupGoswami 1998, p25
R M NathManasRupahiKamrupNath 1978, p4

Shaktipeeth

It form the waist on the position of the genital organ (kama), justifying its name. Kamapitha also known as Kamrup, is important Shaktipeeth and pilgrimage center, due to presence of ancient Kamakhya Temple,[10] relating to legends of goddess Kamakhya. Kamapitha is heart of ancient Kamrup, with presence of two major capitals out of three namely Pragjyotishpura and Durjaya.

Deities

It is believed that, each pitha of Kamrup is in charge of respective deities. Kamakhya is said to be the deity, which governs Kamapitha, whereas Jalpisa looks after Ratnapitha while Dikkarvasini takes charge of Saumarpitha.[11]

See also

Notes
  1. "These theoretical divisions are not known from the early epigraphic records and may have been fabricated in the late medieval period." (Sircar 1990, p. 68)
  2. Journal of the Assam Research Society - Volumes 13-15 - Page 90,1959 Yoginl-tantra divides Kamarupa into four pithas or region (Ratna pitha, Swarna pitha, Kama pitha, and Saumara pitha)
  3. Sen, Dineschandra (1988), The Ballads of Bengal - Volume 1, Mittal Publications, p. 375
  4. "...the temple of the goddess Tameshwari (Dikkaravasini) is now located at modern Sadiya about 100 miles to the northeast of Sibsagar" (Sircar 1990, pp. 63–64).
  5. Samiti, Kamarupa Anusandhan (1985), Journal of the Assam Research Society - Volume 28, p. 100., Kamapitha between Manas and Silghat on the north bank of the Brahmaputra
  6. Kakati, Banikanta (1967),The mother goddess Kamakhya,p. 7, 1) Ratnapitha between the Karatoya and the Svarnakosa ; (2) Kamapitha between the Svamakosa and the Kapill
  7. Goswami, Kali Prasad (1998). Kāmākhyā Temple: Past and Present, p. 25, The Guwahati area upto the Manas river formed the waist on the position of the genital organ (kama) and was known as the Kamapitha.
  8. Pratap Chandra Choudhury, The history of civilisation of the people of Assam to the twelfth century A.D., 1959, Page 448
  9. Kamarupa Anusandhan Samiti (1985), The Journal of the Assam Research Society - Volume 28, Page 99 It is absurd to exclude Kamakhya from the region called Kama- pitha
  10. Indian origin of the Chinese nation: new anthropology, Paramesh Choudhury, Page 174, 1990 Kamapitha of the Tantras was no other place than Kamarupa and Kamakhya
  11. Indian History Congress (1960), Proceedings, Indian History Congress, Page 501

References
  • Gait, Edward A (1906), A History of Assam, Calcutta
  • Bhuyan, S. K. (1930). Bhuyan, S. K. (ed.). Kamrupar Buranji (in Assamese). Assam: Department of Historical and Antiquarian Studies.
  • Sircar, D C (1990), "Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa", in Barpujari, H K (ed.), The Comprehensive History of Assam, I, Guwahati: Publication Board, Assam, pp. 59–78
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