Why thousands flock to Kamakhya: The temple where the Goddess bleeds and menstruation become sacred

In the heart of Nilachal Hill is the temple of Maa Kamakhya or Kameshwari in western Guwahati, Assam, North East India, which is considered one of its kind in the world in terms of having ten shrines together in one location that symbolise the ten distinctive powerful manifestations of Hindu Goddess Shakti – the presence of Dasa Mahavidyas.

The ten divine forms are distributed across Nilachal Hill and the Dasa Mahavidyas are mentioned in detail in the Devi Bhagawat, Devi Purana, Kalika Purana, Yogini Tantra and Chandi Tantra. Ritual contexts vary in their approaches and the worship of one Mahavidya may differ from that of others. The different forms of the Goddess as the overarching, transcendent female deity are commonly referred to as Mahadevi.

Devi Kali’s (first form of the Dasa Mahavidya) temple is located adjacent to the pathway to the Kamakhya Temple. In Sanskrit, the word means time and Kali is the feminine version of the word. Time is birth, growth, decay and death around which the essence of living revolves. It is through renunciation of the attachments to the events of our lives that we can gain mastery over time.

Devi Tara’s (second form of the Dasa Mahavidya) temple is also located adjacent to the pathway to the Kamakhya Temple. Devi Tara relates to OM or Lord Shiva, the transformative power in its feminine form – guide, saviour and source of ultimate knowledge. Tara is the epitome of Mantra Shakti, providing poetic and oratory skills to the devotees.

Devi Tripura Sundari (Shodasi) (third form of the Dasa Mahavidya) Peetha is in the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) of the Kamakhya Temple. Tripura Sundari is eternal beauty which is not to be found anywhere in the universe, nor can it be contained in any object. The eternal beauty of nature is seen through the prism of spiritualism and is a reflection of the reality of consciousness.

Devi Bhuvaneshwari (fourth form of the Dasa Mahavidya) temple is located in the Bhuvaneshwari Temple, which is at the highest point of Nilachal Hill. Devi Bhuvaneshwari creates space within our consciousness to give birth to the divine nature within us and where all things grow.

Devi Bhairavi (fifth form of the Dasa Mahavidya) temple is situated on the southern side of the Kamakhya Temple. Devi Bhairavi represents the supreme power of speech, which has the element of fire (tejas) in its unarticulated and primal form – the flame of consciousness itself and the ultimate knowledge of truth.

Devi Chinnamasta (Devi with a severed head) (sixth form of the Dasa Mahavidya) temple is located in the Chinnamasta Temple adjacent to the pathway to the Kamakhya Temple. The severed head symbolises the sacrifice of the mind. The Unmana state in tantric and yogic tradition is a state when the mind is free of thoughts, emotions and distractions; a state of no mind leading to enlightenment and liberation towards true freedom and inner peace through the ultimate sacrifice.

Dhumavati (seventh form of the Dasa Mahavidya) has a place in the Dhumavati Temple on the southern slope of the Kamakhya Temple. The term Dhuma means smoke, symbolizing her nature as obscure rather than illuminating. She is depicted as a widow, the feminine energy (Shakti) without the masculine energy (Shiva), symbolizing negative aspects of life such as disappointment, loss, sorrow and loneliness – that difficult experiences reveal hidden strength and depth.

Devi Bagalamukhi (eighth form of the Dasa Mahavidya) temple is situated in the Bagalamukhi Temple on the south-eastern side of the Kamakhya Temple. Meaning bridle (Bagala) and face (Mukhi) in translation, the Devi represents control and restraint. Bagalamukhi brings stillness, speech into silence, knowledge into ignorance, defeat into victory – the ability to control or stop actions at will. The Devi paralyses enemies and halts negative forces.

Devi Matangi (ninth form of the Dasa Mahavidya) is placed in the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) of the Kamakhya Temple. Mata means thought/opinion. Devi Matangi governs the power of thought and the mind and is associated with listening. This leads to understanding and the creation of powerful ideas.

Devi Kamala’s (tenth form of the Dasa Mahavidya) Peetha is in the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) of the Kamakhya Temple. The Devi represents the beauty of perception. Kamala, meaning lotus, is the sacred flower symbolizing enfoldment. She is the tantric form of Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity.

The origins of the Kamakhya Temple are believed to be pre-Aryan or tribal, but religious literature points out that the original temple was built by Kamdev, who regained his beauty here. Believed to have been built with the help of Bishwakarma, this temple was of gigantic structure and much bigger than the present one, with architectural and sculptural wonder.

It is also believed that the Temple was constructed by tribal communities like the Garos and Khasis, who worshipped a local fertility goddess known as Ka-mei-Khai, meaning “she who created you”. The temple lost its importance in the Pragjyotisha Kingdom due to the rise of Shaivism. The temple regained prominence again during the reign of King Naraka, the earliest paramount ruler of the Brahmaputra Valley. For some time, its history became obscure until the rise of the Koch Kingdom in the mid-16th century AD when Vishwasingha, the founder of the Koch dynasty, made significant reconstruction of the temple erstwhile destroyed by invaders. However, the current structure was built by King Naranarayan of the Koch dynasty in 1565 AD.

Hereafter, the connection of the Koch Kingdom with the Kamakhya Temple again became a part of history.
The mythological tale is that Lord Shiva carried the body of Goddess Sati (the first consort of Lord Shiva) across the universe after she self-immolated. To pacify Shiva and restore cosmic balance, Lord Vishnu dismembered Sati’s body with his Sudarshan Chakra and the parts of her body fell across the subcontinent, forming the 51 Shakti Peethas.

The temple of Kamakhya is the place where Sati’s Yoni fell on Nilachal Hill and hence is Devi’s Aadi Peetha, which finds mention in many ancient texts. An important centre of Sakta/Shakti worship, the Kamakhya Temple is the ultimate seat of fertility and power. The main shrine of Goddess Kamakhya, along with the other temples, has its own history and religious significance spanning centuries.

Annually, the Temple is closed for three days during Ambubachi. These auspicious days, which according to ancient Hindu tantric traditions are calculated on the annual menstruation cycle of Maa Kamakhya in the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, are mentioned in the Kalika Purana, describing the annual menstruation of the Goddess in the month of Asaad (mid-June) and coinciding with the sun’s transition into Mithun Rashi.

Maa Kamakhya Temple every year opens its doors to one of the largest congregations of devotees before and after the much-revered days of Ambubachi. According to the official website (Prabritti: 22nd June 2026, 9.26 PM and Nribritti: 26th June 2026 morning), the Temple door will close for devotees on 23rd June 2026 and will reopen on the morning of 26th June 2026 this year.

During these three days, the Temple doors are completely closed as the Goddess menstruates. The word Ambubachi is related to “the issuing forth of water” and it is believed that the water inside the temple turns red. In reverence to this sacred period, believers suspend all agricultural and domestic digging/tilling to ensure Mother Earth’s rest. Many households close their places of worship for these three days. On the fourth day, the Temple doors are opened after Maa Kamakhya is given a ceremonial bath. Metaphorically, it signifies ritual purity and renewal of the cycle of life, death and rebirth.

Lakhs of sadhus, tantrics and devotees come from different parts of India and even beyond to have darshan of Maa and receive a piece of the Angobastra. Angobastra is not just a piece of cloth; it is believed to be highly sacred as it is stained by the blood of Maa Kamakhya and is red in colour. Devotees also seek to receive the Angodak, which is the water of the menstrual spring. These are considered physical blessings and are highly sacred.

The Ambubachi period embodies the physical and symbolic gesture of respect, acknowledgement and gratitude to the divine feminine, fertility and seasonal changes of Mother Earth during the monsoon season. Ambubachi is the Spiritual Kumbh of the North East, which boldly embraces menstruation as sacred, especially when this biological process is still viewed and treated with certain taboos today. This celebration is a counter-narrative to notions that portray women as impure and powerless, instead celebrating them as pure and fertile. It breaks open the myths and inhibitions of social practices and generates spiritual ecology. The presence of the Dasa Mahavidyas stands as a constant reminder of feminine power in its varied manifestations, indicating the creation of a space that is inclusive yet diverse, and of time representing fertility and regeneration.