Maa Kamakhya Devalaya, Guwahati
One of the most sacred Shakti Peethas, on Nilachal hill in Guwahati, managed by the Doloi of Maa Kamakhya Devalaya. The Devalaya's published programme opens the temple door to devotees at 8:00 AM, closes it at 1:00 PM for the cooked offering to the goddess, reopens at 2:30 PM and closes it for the night at 5:15 PM. Special darshan tickets are now sold only online, and each June the temple shuts completely for three days during the Ambubachi Mela.
Photo: Kunal Dalui, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped and resized
Kamakhya timings in short
Two windows of darshan, 08:00 to 13:00 and 14:30 to 17:15, with the goddess's bhog between them and the aarati after the door has closed.
History of Kamakhya Temple
The Devalaya notes that Kamakhya is named in the Devi Bhagavata, Devi Purana, Kalika Purana, Yogini Tantra and Hevajra Tantra, and that many regard its origins as pre-Aryan. Religious tradition holds that Kamadeva built the first temple here with Vishwakarma. Historically the temple rose to prominence under King Naraka, the earliest paramount ruler of the Brahmaputra valley, and its history is then obscure until the Koch kingdom of the mid-16th century.
The present temple was rebuilt in 1565 on the ruins of an 11th–12th century stone temple. When the masons sent by the Koch king Naranarayan could not rebuild the spire in stone, they used brick and a round dome, shaped into a sixteen-sided polygon, creating the Nilachala style. The Ahom king Rajeswar Singha added the natmandir in 1759.
- Status
- Shakti Peetha
- Rebuilt
- 1565
- Style
- Nilachala
- Chambers
- Five, from garbhagriha to natmandir
- Natmandir
- Added 1759
- Doors
- 08:00 to 17:15
Why Kamakhya matters to Hindus
The Devalaya describes Kamakhya, the goddess of desire, as the most sacred and oldest of the 51 Shakti Peethas. It is a centre of Shakta worship, and Nilachal hill holds temples of the Dasamahavidya, the ten aspects of the goddess, around the main shrine.
Ambubachi, when the goddess as Mother Earth is believed to enter her annual menstruation, is the defining festival; Durga Puja here runs for a whole fortnight, the Pakhua Puja, and Manasa Puja is marked with the Deodhani dance.
More facts about Kamakhya
- Deity
- Kamakhya, worshipped at the Pithasthana
- Status
- Among the most sacred and oldest of the 51 Shakti Peethas
- Where
- Nilachal hill, Guwahati, Assam
- Rebuilt
- 1565, on the ruins of an 11th–12th century stone temple
- Style
- Nilachala, a blend of nagara and saracenic forms
- Management
- The Doloi, with the four Bardeuri families holding customary rights
- Also known as
- Kamakhya Temple, Kamakhya Devi Temple, Kamakhya Mandir, Maa Kamakhya, Kamrup Kamakhya, Nilachal Kamakhya
Entry rules at Kamakhya
The Devalaya's notices set out the rules that affect a visit.
Special darshan
Tickets are sold only on the official online portal; counter booking of offline special darshan tickets has been discontinued.
Footwear
Left at designated camps on the approach road; not allowed past the main entrance.
Tobacco
The whole complex and Nilachal hill is a no-tobacco zone, since 1 January 2016.
Official websites
The Devalaya names only maakamakhya.org and maakamakhyadevalaya.org as its official websites.
Online pujas
The Devalaya does not authorise any online platform to conduct pujas on its behalf.
Kamakhya dress code
The Devalaya publishes no dress code on the pages read here. What it does publish are rules about footwear and tobacco.
- Footwear must be kept at the designated camps on the approach road; no one may go beyond the main entrance with footwear.
- The entire Kamakhya complex and Nilachal hill is a no-tobacco zone, and sale or consumption of tobacco products is banned.
How to reach Kamakhya Temple
By air
Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport is about 20 km west of Guwahati city centre, with taxis and buses into the city.
By train
Kamakhya station is the nearest to the temple; Guwahati station is the city's main railway station.
By road
Buses to towns across Assam and neighbouring states run from Adabari, Paltan Bazar and ISBT Guwahati.
Best time to visit Kamakhya
Ambubachi in June is the Devalaya's biggest event and its heaviest crowd, and the temple itself is shut for three days of it; the days after reopening are the most crowded of the year, when even special darshan is suspended. Durga Puja, a fortnight long here, is the other peak.
Within the day, the doors are open from 08:00 to 13:00 and 14:30 to 17:15, so plan to arrive in the morning; an afternoon arrival leaves under three hours.
Tips before you go
- Book special darshan only on the Devalaya's official online portal.
- Leave your footwear at the camps on the approach road.
- Do not carry tobacco; Nilachal hill is a no-tobacco zone.
- Arrive in the morning; the doors close for the night at 17:15.
- Ignore websites and apps offering online pujas in the Devalaya's name; it does not authorise them.
Not verified yet 5 items no official source publishes
- Whether phones and cameras are allowed inside the temple.
- The price of a special darshan ticket outside Ambubachi; the Devalaya quoted Rs. 501 in its Ambubachi notice.
- A dress code; none is published on the Devalaya's pages read here.
- The Ambubachi dates for 2027.
- Whether the doors reopen for the 19:30 aarati.
Know one of these from an official notice? Send it to us and the page is updated with a new date.
Questions about visiting
Answered from what the temple publishes, with the gaps left as gaps.
What are the Kamakhya Temple timings?
The Devalaya publishes the temple door as open to devotees from 8:00 AM, closed from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM for the cooked offering, and closed for the night at 5:15 PM. The aarati is at 7:30 PM.
How do I book special darshan at Kamakhya?
Online only, on the Devalaya's official portal. Counter booking of offline special darshan tickets was discontinued because of rising crowds.
When is Kamakhya Temple closed?
For three days each June during Ambubachi. In 2026 the door was closed from 23 to 25 June and reopened on the morning of 26 June after the ritual bath and daily puja.
What is Ambubachi Mela?
The biggest religious gathering in North East India, held in the month of Ashar around 21 or 22 June, when the goddess, worshipped as Mother Earth, is believed to enter her annual menstruation. The temple is closed for three days.
Can I wear shoes up to Kamakhya Temple?
No. The Devalaya requires footwear to be kept at designated camps on the approach road, and no one may go past the main entrance with footwear.
Is tobacco allowed at Kamakhya?
No. The whole Kamakhya complex and Nilachal hill has been a no-tobacco zone since 1 January 2016.
Is there a dress code at Kamakhya?
None is published on the Devalaya's pages read here. Dress modestly and expect to leave footwear behind.
Which is the official Kamakhya website?
The Devalaya names only two: maakamakhya.org and maakamakhyadevalaya.org. It warns that other websites and apps offering online pujas in its name are not authorised.
When was the present Kamakhya temple built?
It was rebuilt in 1565 using the ruins of an 11th–12th century stone temple, under the Koch king Naranarayan, whose masons created the Nilachala style of architecture.
How do I reach Kamakhya Temple?
Kamakhya railway station is the nearest to the temple and Guwahati station is the main one. Guwahati airport is about 20 km west of the city centre.
What else is on Nilachal hill?
Temples of the Dasamahavidya, the ten aspects of the goddess, along with five Shiva temples and one Vishnu temple, according to the Devalaya.
Can I rely on these timings on the day?
They are the Devalaya's standing programme. Special days and Ambubachi change them, so check the Devalaya's notices before travelling.
Need the timings in full?
The timings page carries the whole published schedule, block by block, and what to check before you travel.