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Kamakhya Temple

Kamakhya Temple

pilgrimage site · Assam

Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam is one of the Shakti Peethas, the sacred shrines of the Divine Mother in the Shakta tradition of Hinduism.

State
Assam
Type
Pilgrimage Site
Best season
Winter
Things to do
2+

Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam is one of the Shakti Peethas, the sacred shrines of the Divine Mother in the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. According to tradition, this is where the **yoni (womb)** of Goddess Sati fell when Lord Vishnu's Sudarshana Chakra divided her body. Here the Goddess is worshipped as **Kamakhya**, and her guardian Bhairava (a form of Shiva) as **Umananda**. It is counted among the eighteen Ashtadasha Maha Shakti Peethas — the most revered of all the seats of the Goddess. Shakti Peethas are among the holiest pilgrimage sites for devotees of the Goddess, drawing pilgrims especially during Navratri and Durga Puja. Each is tied to the legend of Sati, whose body parts fell across the Indian subcontinent and beyond, sanctifying the ground where they landed.

When to go

Navratri (around October and April) is the most auspicious time; winter months are comfortable for a quieter visit.

Why visit

There is no image in the sanctum here — you go down steps into the dark to a rock cleft kept wet by a spring. The temple shuts for three days at Ambubachi in June, and the crowd for the reopening is one of the largest in the Northeast.

Cultural notes

Presiding deity (Shakti): Kamakhya. Bhairava (consort/guardian): Umananda. Associated relic: the yoni (womb) of Goddess Sati. This is one of the 18 Ashtadasha Maha Shakti Peethas. The site forms part of the Shakti Peetha pilgrimage circuit rooted in the Daksha Yagna legend.

Kamakhya Temple guide & itineraries

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Inner Cave Sanctum

Inner Cave Sanctum

Attraction

Nilachal Hill Overlook

Nilachal Hill Overlook

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