ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the ways in which the aniconic yoni within Kamakhya temple's inner sanctum was articulated through an unstudied series of sculptures which emphasised the female body and its reproductive powers. Kamakhya was regarded as the most holy temple by writers including Bhudev because, as the site of Sati's yoni, it was popularly believed to be the most powerful of all the Pithas. The chapter explores the rise of Kamakhya's fame amongst Bengalis, due in part to improved communication and travel between Gauhati and Calcutta. To reach Kamakhya temple, pilgrims once had to endure a long climb up Nilacala Hill. Pilgrimage was done primarily on foot, with parties singing devotional songs along the route. Kamakhya has largely become a devotional centre of popular worship rather than a site of transgressive rites, partly as a result of no longer being tied to royal patronage. Tantric practice has since survived on the margins, often in rural areas and remote tribal communities.
