About Us
The Sri Kamakhya Mahavidya Mandir is a Northern California non-profit, Hindu Shakta Tantric devi mandir (Goddess Temple) in the San Francisco Bay Area dedicated to the Mother Goddesses Sri Sri Kamakhya and the Dasa Mahavidyas.
We offer traditional worship, joyful kirtan and bhajans (devotional Indian music), and also honor and welcome all life-affirming forms of devotion and worship of our Divine Mother. We are firmly rooted in the ancient Kaula tradition of Shakta Tantra at Kamakhya, perhaps the most ancient and certainly one of the most highly revered and rare living streams of Shakta Tantrism today.
As such, we make no distinctions of gender, caste, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, purity, etc. We affirm the right of ALL to offer their sincere devotion, believing our Divine Mother to be far beyond the limitations of the human body and mind. Our attendees include both Hindus and Goddess devotees of various and diverse religions and spiritual traditions, as well as members of various Tantric paths, and all are drawn here out of reverence for MAA.
“If a foreigner comes to this pitha which is away from his or her homeland or tradition, then he or she can worship the deity according to his or her own rites.”
- Kalikapurana 64.34
We facilitate direct personal experience and worship with the deities following the formal puja, so that each individual may touch, experience and connect in their own way without intermediary. This is modeled on the darshan procedures at the Sri Sri Kamakhya Temple in Assam.
While we are an independent and autonomous Devi Mandir (Goddess Temple or Church), we operate with the official blessings of the elders at the Sri Sri Kamakhya Temple and Shakti Pitham in Guwahati, Assam. We maintain a close relationship with the Sri Sri Kamakhya Pitham through our Spiritual Advisory Board, who aid us in matters of ritual procedure and issues relating to the Kamakhya tradition.
The purpose of the mandir is to maintain a temple for worship of the Divine Mother Sri Sri Kamakhya and the Das Mahavidya, and to provide religious and philosophical instruction and resources. We recognize that in our community there are those from many walks of life and spiritual traditions that seek to learn more about our Divine Mother. We serve a diverse community, and we welcome ALL who wish to offer their sincere devotion. For those who wish to learn more or commit themselves to Devi, we provide opportunities for learning and spiritual growth.
Our specific purpose as stated in our Articles of Incorporation is:
- establish and operate a Devi Mandir (Goddess Temple) for religious purposes
- conduct regular pujas (worship services), festivals and other religious services
- provide spiritual/religious services, instruction and resources
- educate regarding the subjects of Hinduism, Tantra, Goddess worship, and various other related and relevant topics
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