Kamakhya Temple

Kamakhya Temple is a Hindu temple of the goddess Kamakhya on Nilachal Hill in Guwahati, Assam, and one of the most revered of the Shakti Peethas, the shrines where parts of the goddess Sati are believed to have fallen. Kamakhya Temple has no image of the goddess in its sanctum. Worship is directed instead at a natural cleft in the rock, shaped like a yoni and kept moist by an underground spring, which makes the temple a major centre of Tantric worship.

The temple is very old, but the present structure dates largely from the 16th century, when it was rebuilt under the Koch kings after an earlier temple was destroyed. Its curved, beehive-shaped dome over a cross-shaped base is known as the Nilachal style, and the complex includes smaller temples to the ten Mahavidyas on the same hill. Each June the Ambubachi Mela marks the goddess's annual menstruation; the temple closes for three days, and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and sadhus gather on the hill. Animal sacrifice is still part of worship here, which some visitors should be prepared for.

What to see

• The Nilachal-style main temple with its beehive dome and carved panels
• The dark underground sanctum reached down steep steps
• Temples of the Mahavidyas, including Bhuvaneshwari at the hilltop
• Views over Guwahati and the Brahmaputra from the upper road
• Pilgrim life in the lanes of stalls selling red cloth, flowers and offerings

What to wear

Dress modestly at Kamakhya Temple, with shoulders and knees covered; long trousers or a long skirt are best. Shoes are left outside at the stalls or shoe counter, and leather items such as belts and bags are best left behind. The stone floors can be wet and slippery. Guwahati is hot and humid from April to September, so wear light cotton. Many Assamese women visit in the mekhela chador, and men sometimes wear the dhoti with a gamosa across the shoulders.

Local food to try

The temple lanes sell prasad sweets and simple vegetarian meals. Back in Guwahati, try an Assamese thali with masor tenga (sour fish curry), khar, aloo pitika (mashed potato with mustard oil) and pitha rice cakes. The Fancy Bazar and Pan Bazar areas are the older market districts, with sweet shops and small eateries. Vegetarian food is easy to find throughout the city.

Good to know

• Best time: October to March; arrive early morning to avoid the longest queues
• Darshan usually about 8am to 1pm and 2:30pm to 5:30pm; closed three days for Ambubachi in June
• General queue is free; a paid darshan ticket gives faster entry
• Allow two to four hours on busy days
• About 8 km from central Guwahati and about 20 km from the airport; roads climb the hill to the temple
• Photography is not allowed in the sanctum; follow instructions from priests and staff

Nearby places

Kamakhya Temple is the usual starting point for journeys around the Northeast. Shillong is about 100 km south, Kaziranga National Park about 220 km east, and Majuli Island further up the Brahmaputra via Jorhat.