The Kamakhya Temple is in Guwahati at Nilachal hills. It is one of the ancient and most revered centres of Tantric practices. The Temple is the centre of the site of the Ambubachi Mela and Kulachara Tantra Marga, an annual festival celebrating the Goddess’s menstruation. It is also one of the oldest 51 pithas in the Shakta tradition. Temple Timings: 8 am to 1 pm; 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm.
Temple is well known as the bleeding Goddess. It appears very beautiful during the evening aarti. Apart from the deity Kamakhya Devi, a Temple compound houses ten other Kali avatars named Matangi, Bagola, Tara, Bhairavi, Chinnamasta, Kamala, Dhumavati, Tripura Sundari, and Bhuvaneshwari.
kamakhya Temple Story:
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Legends. According to the Kalika Purana, It denotes where Sati used to retire secretly to satisfy her amour with Shiva. It was also where her yoni (genitals, womb) fell after Shiva tandav (dance of destruction) with the corpse of Sati.
History of kamakhya Temple:
The Temple is one of the ancient temples in our country and hence has a long and well-known history. It believes this Temple has built during the Mleccha dynasty in the 8th – 9th century. It has destroyed during Hussein Sha’s invasion of the Kamata kingdom.
The ruins remained undetected until the 1500s, when the founder of the Koch Dynasty, Vishwasingha, brought back the Temple as a worship site. It was again built in 1565 during the reign of his son.
Structure of The Kamakhya Temple:
Shikhara and Garbhagriha of Temple:
The Garbhgriha, or main sanctum, rests on a base with several sunken panels embellished with the sculptures of Ganesha and other Hindu deities.
Calanta:
The first to the west is the calanta, a square chamber of type atchala. The entrance to the Temple is generally via its northern door, which is of Ahom-type dochala.
Pancha Ratna:
The Pancha Ratna to the west of calanta is large and rectangular, with five smaller shikharas and a flat roof of the same style as the main shikhara.
Natamandir:
Towards the Pancharatna west side is the last structure of Nata mandir. It has and ridged roof and an apsidal end of the Ranghar type Ahom style.
Festivals At Temple:
- Ambubachi Mela
- Manasha Puja
- Durga Puja
- Navaratri
- Lakshmi Puja
- Kali Puja
- Saraswati Puja
- Teej
- Shakti Peetha
- kumari puja
| April | Sri Sri Manasha Devi Puthi Opening Ceremony, Chaitra Sangkarnti, Bohag Bihu and Halkhata (Assamese new year’s day) |
| May | Puja of Sri Sri Grammya Devata |
| June | Satha Brata, Ambubachi Mela |
| July | Daksinayan Sangkranti and Puja of Sri Sri Dakshina Kali Devi |
| August | Sri Sri Manasha Devi Puja and Debaddhani Festival, Lalita Saptami and Puja of Sri Sri Latitakanta Devi, Puja of Sri Sri Joyadurga Devi |
| August/September | Janam Astami (Birth day of Lord Krishna), Pitri Tarpan |
| September | Sri Sri Manasha Devi Puthi Closing Ceremony, Sri Sri Biswakarma Puja |
| September/October | Nabamyadi Kalparambha, Sharadiya Sri Sri Durga Puja from Krishna Navami to Shukla Navami |
| October | Sri Sri Lakshmi Devi Puja |
| November | Sri Sri Kartik Puja |
| November/December | Dhannya Sedan, Navanna |
| December/January | Puhan Biya (Marriage Day of Devi Kamakhya) |
| January | Pousha Sangkarnti (Makara Sangkranti), Sri Sri Ratanti Kali Puja |
| January/February | Sri Sri Ganesh Puja, Sri Sri Saraswati Puja |
| February/March | Maha Shiva Ratri, Gopal Doul (Holi Utsav) |
| March/April | Shiva Doul, Durga Doul, Sri Sri Basanti Puja, Sri Sri Raj-Rajaswari Puja (from Chaitra Amavashya to Purnima) |
Temple Entry Fee:
- General public – Free
- For defence, police and paramilitary forces – INR 10
- Special Entry – INR 101
- Direct Entry – INR 501
kamakhya Temple Timings:
Here are the Temple Timings:
| Day | Timings |
| Monday | 8 am to 1 pm; 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 8 am to 1 pm; 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 8 am to 1 pm; 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm |
| Thursday | 8 am to 1 pm; 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm |
| Friday | 8 am to 1 pm; 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm |
| Saturday | 8 am to 1 pm; 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm |
| Sunday | 8 am to 1 pm; 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm |
- Morning 5:30 am – Snana of the Pithasthana
- 6:00 am – Daily Nitya puja
- 8:00 am – Temple doors open
- 1:00 pm – kamakhya Temple door closed for food offerings to the Goddess.
Tourist places nearby kamakhya Temple:
Fancy Bazaar:
Fancy Bazaar is a unique bazaar with tiny shops trading exotic silk fabrics, handmade toys, Cane and Bamboo Products, and home decor. This famous Bazaar is next to the Central Railway station in Guwahati. This is near Sukreswar Temple.
Umananda Temple:
It has built on Bhasmachala Hill. And ‘Umananda’ comes from two Hindi words, ‘Uma,’ which is another name for Lord Shiva’s wife, and ‘Ananda,’ which means happiness.
Sukreswar Temple:
The Sukreswar Temple is a Shiva temple in Assam. The Temple has located on the Itakhuli hill (Sukreswar) on the south bank of river Brahmaputra in Panbazar, Guwahati city. Near the Temple, the compound has a flight of steps to the river.
Tilinga Mandir:
The Tilinga Mandir is a famous Shiva temple in ‘Bordubi town’, i.e. 7 km from Tinsukia District. It is in a tea garden at Bordubi, with bells hanging around the temple complex.
Dedicated to the nine major celestial bodies (Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, North Lunar Node and South Lunar Node), Navagraha Temple in Guwahati has nine Shiva Lingas. It is near Kamakhya Temple.
Aswakranta Temple:
Aswa means ‘horse,’ and Klanta means ‘tired’ in the Assamese language. Lord Krishna was searching for Narakasura; his horse felt tired here, where Shri Aswaklanta temple has located now.
Mahamaya Temple:
Mahamaya Temple of Bogribari placed about 30 km east of Dubhri town, is one of the most visited temples in that part of Assam. The Temple derives its name from the great Goddess Mahamaya, meaning supreme illusion.
Basistha Mandir:
Basistha temple has located southeast of Guwahati city, Assam State. It is a Lord Shiva mandir. According to legend, the ashram has founded by the great saint Basistha.
Doul Govinda temple:
Doul Govinda Mandir is one of the important temples of Kamrup, Assam, India. It has situated on the northern banks, on the foothills of Chandra Bharati hill at Rajaduar, North Guwahati.
Balaji Temple Guwahati:
The Purva Tirupati Balaji temple is a beautiful temple of Guwahati located in the Lokhra area. The Balaji temple replicates the famous Tirupati Venkateshwara temple of Southern India.
Hotels near kamakhya Temple:
- Nilachal Homes
- MB Holiday home
- Radisson Blu Hotel Guwahati
- Gruham Sojourn Homestay
- Hotel A P Home’s – A Boutique Hotel
- FabHotel Red Rose
- Hotel OM Regency Kamakhya by World Choice
- Hotel Rajmahal
- Flagship 23284 Jp Homes
- Namaskar Lodge
- Hotel Sukhmani
kamakhya Temple Address:
Maa Kamakhya Devalaya, Guwahati, Assam, India. Pin-781010
Website: https://www.maakamakhya.org/
How to reach Kamakhya Temple:
By Bus:- ISBT Bus station Guwahati near Temple. ASTC also run bus services to the Kamakhya Temple from the Kachari bus stoppage.
By Rail:- Kamakhya Junction railway station is near Temple.
By Air:- Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport
FAQs:
Counted among the most sacred shaktipeethas (holy shrines where the broken-off body parts of Goddess Sati fell), the Temple has believed to be where the Goddess’s womb fell. Synonymous with supreme female power and fertility.
According to the Kalika Purana, Kamakhya Temple denotes where Sati used to retire secretly to satisfy her amour with Shiva. It was also where her yoni (genitals, womb) fell after Shiva tandav (dance of destruction) with the corpse of Sati.
The Kamakhya Temple remains closed for three days during the mela, for it has believed that Kamakhya rests for three days like the women’s menstrual cycle. During these three days, the devotees observe some restrictions, like not cooking, not performing puja or reading holy books, and no farming.
Womb. Devotees believe that, In Nilachal hill, Sati’s yoni (womb) fell, And that yoni (womb) took the form of a woman called Goddess Kamakhya.
As such, only male buffaloes and male goats sacrifice at Kamakhya.
In the month of Ashaad (June), it has believed that the Goddess menstruates. At this time, the Brahmaputra river near Kamakhya Temple turns red. The Temple then remains closed for three days. There is no scientific proof that the blood turns the river red.
Mlechchha dynasty. It has rebuilt by Koch King Nara Narayan and Ahom kings.
The main Temple has surrounded by temples dedicated to the ten Mahavidyas of Saktism, namely, Tripura Sundari, Kali, Tara, Dhumavati, Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Chhinnamasta, Bagalamukhi, Matangi and Kamalatmika.