Umananda Temple

Umananda Temple sits on Peacock Island — a tiny island in the middle of the Brahmaputra River in Guwahati, making it one of the most dramatically situated temples in India. The island is also known as Bhasmachal, where according to mythology, Kamadeva (the god of love) was burnt to ashes by Lord Shiva's third eye.

The current temple, dedicated to Umananda Shiva, was built in 1694 CE by King Gadadhar Singha of the Ahom dynasty. The original temple was destroyed by an earthquake in 1897. The island is accessible only by ferry from Guwahati's riverbank and is famous for its large population of rare golden langur monkeys. During Shivaratri, thousands of devotees make the short river crossing to offer prayers. The temple is also significant as a Shakti Peetha satellite site related to Kamakhya.