GUWAHATI: A headless body of a woman was recovered from the Nilachal Hills, a few metres from Kamakhya Temple, on June 19. While city police is currently investigating the murder, locals suspect it to be a case of black magic.
The body was recovered from the stairs which lead to the Durga Temple on the hills. This route is seldom used by devotees of Goddess Kamakhya. Police also recovered some flowers, a packet of incense sticks and other materials used for worship from near the body.
“It could be a case of human sacrifice. Some people might have done this after getting driven by superstitious beliefs. It could also be that she was murdered elsewhere and the body was dumped here to make it look like a case of human sacrifice,” a police officer at the site told journalists.
The police were searching for the decapitated head with the help of a sniffer dog. Stating that the amount of blood found at the spot was less, they said it would be premature to jump to any conclusion.
“Whether it was murder or human sacrifice would be known after post-mortem. The identity of the woman is yet to be ascertained and no arrest has been made so far,” informed Suprativ Lal Baruah, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP), Guwahati (West).
City police is currently investigating the matter but locals suspect it to be a case of black magic.
However, speaking to G Plus, Mohit Chandra Sarma, chief of the temple management committee discarded the involvement of black magic and called it a cold-blooded murder.
“Kamakhya Temple is a sacred place where women are worshipped. Ambubachi Mela, to be specific, glorifies the power of “She.” We conduct Kunwari Puja and present phal daan (donation of fruits) to the widows during this period. In a holy place and time like this, we never expected to find a female dead body,” Sarma said.
“Whoever has committed the crime must be mentally-ill to have committed a gruesome act like this one. The police must arrest the culprit as soon as possible and also provide him with treatment because it’s not safe to have people like him/her roaming around freely,” he added, expressing concerns of security.
It must be mentioned that the district administration and police are gearing up to host Ambubachi Mela in the city from June 22 and have claimed to have beefed up the security in and around Kamakhya Temple.
This incident, however, has raised questions on the security arrangements ahead of the festival.
Reacting to the questions, ADCP Suprativa Lal Baruah informed G Plus that the security in and around Kamakhya has been beefed up further following the incident.
"A security plan has been worked out to ensure that nothing untoward happens," he said.
Recovery of dead body could affect Ambubachi footfall
Due to the recovery of the dead body just two days ahead of the Ambubachi festival, the footfall during the festival is likely to have an adverse effect.
Sources at the Kamakhya Devalaya Committee informed G Plus that there could be a decline of footfall during the ensuing festival.
It must be noted here that according to head count, Ambubachi Mela 2018 was attended by over 20 lakh devotees and the administration are expecting a 20% increase in the footfall this year, that is, 25 lakh devotees.
However, with the headless body being recovered, a lot of devotees are in a state of shock and fear.
“I visit the Kamakhya Temple every year during the Ambubachi festival along with my family. This year, too, we had reserved our tickets to Guwahati but cancelled it at the last moment because the incident instilled a sense of fear in my parents’ mind,” a devotee who visits the temple with his 12-member-strong family told G Plus.
Similarly, a local resident of Guwahati said, “This incident has put our holy Kamakhya Temple in a bad light.
I’m sure this murder cannot be the doing of any of our people. It must have been the shakti tantriks from other states who throng the temple during the festival.”
It is often thought that the age of tantra and dark arts have passed but in Kamakhya, it is a way of living. It is all the more noticeable during the Ambubachi Mela. This period is considered to be the most important time for the shakti tantriks. They come out of seclusion during this time and display their powers. It is said that they also bestow boons and help the needy.
Most of the kaul tantras are believed to have originated in Kamrupa. It is a common saying that one is not a complete tantrik unless he pays his respects to Goddess Kamakhya.
It is said that the tantriks and sadhus here are capable of performing miracles. Many people go on a pilgrimage to Kamakhya to be blessed with marriage, children, wealth and other desires. They even claim to be able to cast an evil spell on others but they use this power judiciously.