Echoes of Devotion: OjaPali and the Sacred Legacy of Kamakhya

In the heart of Assam, where the Brahmaputra flows like a lifeline and the hills hum with ancient secrets, there thrives a tradition that bridges the mortal and the divine—OjaPali.

This mesmerizing confluence of storytelling, dance, and music is more than just an art form; it is a living testament to faith, a sacred invocation passed down through generations. 

Rooted in devotion and deeply intertwined with the Shakti Peeths, especially the revered Kamakhya Temple, OjaPali embodies the spirit of Assam’s cultural and spiritual heritage.

Steeped in mythology and the echoes of time, OjaPali narrates the divine tales of Shakti, carrying within it the voice of the gods and the heartbeat of the land. Through rhythmic movements, soaring melodies, and fervent storytelling, this tradition has not only survived the ages but continues to enthral and inspire. This feature delves into the significance of OjaPali, its sacred ties to the Shakti Peeths, and the timeless devotion that keeps it alive.

“Some stories are not just told - they are sung, they are danced, they are felt in the very heartbeat of the land and tonight, we gather to witness one such story, a story woven in devotion, in rhythm, in the echoes of time itself,” shared leading Thespian and Communication Coach Sattyakee D’com Bhuyan during the opening ceremony of “The Listener: Brahmaputra” - A Festival of Oral Literature, organized by IMASI: The Maharaj Kumari Binodini Devi Foundation in collaboration with The Royal Global University.

He added, “In the sacred land of Assam, where the Brahmaputra flows like a lifeline, where the hills whisper secrets of the divine, there exists a tradition as ancient as the gods themselves. It is called OjaPali, a mesmerizing confluence of storytelling, dance, and music, passed down through generations, carrying within it the soul of our spiritual heritage.”

Also Read: The Listener Brahmaputra: A Tapestry of Voices and Memories

Bhuyan held anchor while Bhaskar Jyoti Oja presented the art form in a lucid manner and Dr. Sumanta Dutta Chowdhury, Assistant Professor, Department of Fine Arts, Royal Global University, created a painting of the symbolic Kamakhya side by side. For the record, Bhaskar Jyoti Oja, a celebrated musician and composer of Assam, is a devotee of the fourth generation of the “Sattriya Biyohiya OjaPali” tradition of Barpeta Satra. Oja holds expertise in myriad instruments as well as Sattriya dance and Gayan. For the past 25 years, he has been relentlessly working to create Sattriya pieces of traditional and contemporary brilliance, his work being acknowledged and admired by Rasikas of the country.

Bhuyan further elaborated stating, “OjaPali is not just a performance; it is a bridge between the mortal and the divine, a sacred offering where the Oja, the lead narrator, becomes the voice of the gods, and the Palis, his companions, become the echoes of devotion. Their synchronized steps, their soaring voices, their rhythmic claps, each movement, each note, an invocation, a prayer, a hymn to the goddess herself.”

And at the heart of this tradition lies a connection deeper than we often realize - a connection to the mighty Shakti Peeths, the sacred abodes of the Devi, where the power of the feminine force, of Shakti, radiates in all its glory. Kamakhya, the menstruating goddess, the eternal mother, has been the muse of many an Oja, the inspiration behind songs that speak of creation, of destruction, of the cycle of life itself.

For centuries, OjaPali performances have carried the tales of the Devi Purana, celebrating Durga, Kamakhya, and the many forms of Shakti, reminding us that the divine feminine is not just to be revered but to be embraced in all its raw, untamed power. Through their vibrant recitations, the OjaPalis bring alive the sacred legends of how Shakti Peeths came into being and how Sati’s body, scorched by grief, was scattered across the land, turning each fragment into a holy shrine, where the goddess still resides, where faith still breathes.

But perhaps, OjaPali is more than just a tradition. It is a testament to the resilience of faith, to the undying devotion of a people who have carried their gods in their hearts, in their songs, in their very breath.

And so tonight, as we witness this sacred art form, let us not just see, but feel. Let us not just hear, but listen to the whispers of the past, to the voices of the divine, to the rhythm of a tradition that refuses to fade. Let us welcome, with reverence and devotion, the custodians of this timeless legacy, the OjaPali artists who keep the goddess alive in every word, in every note, in every beat of their being.

Kamakhya: The Eternal Womb of the Divine

On the sacred Nilachal Hills, where the Brahmaputra whispers the songs of time, stands the revered Kamakhya Temple, a place where divinity breathes, where the feminine force, the Shakti, pulsates with untamed power. It is not just a temple; it is the womb of creation, a shrine of the primal energy that binds the universe.

Kamakhya, the menstruating goddess, is unlike any other. Here, the deity is worshipped in her most natural, raw, and sacred form, not as a statue, not as an idol, but as the very essence of fertility, power, and life itself. Every year, when the goddess is said to menstruate, the temple doors close in reverence, and the earth beneath turns red, a divine reminder of nature’s cycle, of creation and renewal. The Ambubachi Mela, celebrated in her honor, is not a festival of mourning but of acceptance, an ode to the cycles of life, the feminine strength that births civilizations.

But Kamakhya’s roots stretch far deeper than mythology. Before Aryan deities found their way to these hills, before Sanskrit prayers echoed in the sanctum, this was a sacred ground of the Khasi and the Garo people. It was Ka Mei Kha, the great mother, the primal goddess of the hills and rivers. She was worshipped not in structured temples but in the open embrace of the forests, in the rhythm of waterfalls, in the silence of the caves. Even today, her spirit lingers, reminding us that divinity is not confined to walls but flows freely, like the Brahmaputra itself.

The story of Kamakhya is also the story of lost traditions, of the ancient wisdom of the land. The hill once resonated with the chants of matrilineal tribes, for whom women were not just bearers of life but custodians of power. This was their sanctuary, a place where creation was revered, not hidden. And in that belief lies a truth we often forget: true power is not in conquest but in creation, not in domination but in harmony.

For in the red earth of Kamakhya, in the ancient echoes of Ka Mei Kha, in the eternal cycle of birth and rebirth, lies a truth older than time itself.

A truth we must never forget.