Kamakhya Temple

Set high on Nilachal Hill above the Brahmaputra, Kamakhya is one of the 51 Shakti Pithas — places where, according to myth, parts of the goddess Sati's body fell when Vishnu dismembered her — and a centre of Tantric Hinduism for over a thousand years. The current structure dates from the 17th century, rebuilt by the Koch king Naranarayan after the original was destroyed by Muslim invaders; the distinctive beehive-shaped shikhara is a hybrid Nilachal style unique to this temple.

The temple is intensely active. Animal sacrifice is still practised — goats, pigeons, occasionally buffalo — in a courtyard to the side of the main shrine. The atmosphere inside is dim, smoky, crowded and overwhelming. Queues to enter the inner sanctum can run for hours; foreigners often opt for the priority ticket (₹500). Smaller shrines to the ten Mahavidyas — fierce forms of the goddess — surround the main temple and are quieter. Open dawn to dusk; come early. Carry a scarf for head covering; remove leather. Photography of the inner sanctum is prohibited.

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A story
Kamakhya has no idol in its inner sanctum. Instead, in a small cave below the main shrine, a natural cleft in the rock is venerated as the yoni of the goddess, fed by an underground spring. Once a year, in June, the spring water reportedly runs red — interpreted as the goddess's menstrual cycle. The temple closes for three days during this Ambubachi festival; on the fourth day, pilgrims receive scraps of red cloth said to have been used by Kamakhya.

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