GUWAHATI: Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday visited the famous Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati to offer prayers.
On his arrival, Gambhir was received by the priests who guided him around the temple. The former Indian cricketer was surrounded by security personnel throughout his stay in the temple.
The former left-handed opening batsman paid respects to the revered goddess and sought blessings.
Gambhir's visit to Kamakhya temple comes amid Team India's one and a half month break from international cricket after the tour of Sri Lanka.
His visit to the famed temple also comes ahead of the Indian team’s two-match test series against Bangladesh scheduled to start on September 19 in Chennai.
Prior to this break, Gautam Gambhir assumed charge as the head coach of the Indian cricket team and the Sri Lanka tour was his first assignment.
In Sri Lanka, the 'Men in Blue' clinched the 3-match T20I series 3-0 but suffered a 0-2 loss in the ODI leg of the tour.
Earlier, former South African star pacer Morne Morkel joined Gambhir's back-room staff as the new bowling coach in the Indian team.
39-year-old Morkel was the first choice of Gambhir, having worked with him at Lucknow Super Giants.
Meanwhile, the renowned Kamakhya Temple is situated atop the Nilachal Hills and happens to be one of the oldest and most revered centres of Tantric practices and one of the 51 Shakti Peeths.
It is dedicated to goddess Kamakhya and dates back to 8th-9th century with many subsequent rebuildings - and the final hybrid architecture defines a local style called Nilachal.
The Kamakya Temple became identified with the state power when the Mleccha dynasty of Kamarupa patronised it first, followed by the Palas, the Koch, and the Ahoms.
The Kalika Purana, written during the Pala rule, connected Naraka, the legitimizing progenitor of the Kamarupa kings, with the goddess Kamakhya representing the region and the Kamarupa kingdom.
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