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In the vicinity of Guwahati there are numerous ancient
shrines, the most important of which are:
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Kamakhya
Temple
 The sacred
Nilachal Hill located at a distance of 8 km west of Guwahati is believed
to be an ancient 'Khasi' sacrificial site. This hill has a group of
ancient temples, the most famous of which is the Kamakhya temple.
The temple dedicated to the Goddess Shakti also known as Kamakshya
is one of the oldest and most sacred centre for Shakti worship and
Tantric Hinduism. There is a legend behind the existence of the Kamakhya
temple. It is said that while Lord Shiva was carrying the corpse of
his wife Sati, her female genitalia (yoni) fell to the ground at the
spot where the temple was built. At that instance the hill turned
blue and came to be known as Nilachal (blue mountain). Click
here for more details
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Aswaklanta
Aswaklanta on the north bank of the Brahmaputra where the third
Pandava, Arjuna, is believed to have watered his horse while covering
the length and breadth of Bharat for the performance of the Aswamedha
Yajnya.
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Sukreswar
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Ugratra
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Umananda
(the peacock Island)
The Shiva temple of Umananda is situated atop the Bhasmachala Hill
or the Hill of ashes on the picturesque Peacock island in the midst
of river Brahmaputra. This hillock- island is also known as Bhasmachal.
Legend has it that Lord Shiva burnt Kamdev (God of Love) into ashes
with his wrathful eyes on this hill, when he and his wife Rati tried
to disturb Lord Shiva in his deep meditation.
Click
here for more details
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Nava-Graha
 This
very ancient temple was destroyed in the great earthquake of 1897
and has not been completely rebuilt. The temple is dedicated
to the nine planets or heavenly bodies, each one of which is represented
on a solid slab of stone in circular shape with an elongation at one
end . Click
here for more details
Maha-Bhairava
Maha- Bhairav temple at Tezpur believed to have been built
by prehistoric monarch Bana who is said to have first introduced the cult
of the Phallus and the worship of Siva to Assam. A fair is held here during
Sivaratri.
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Viswanath Temple
Viswanath temple in the district (Darrang), called
second Kasi (Benares) or Gupta-Kasi (hidden Kasi). This temple is also
said to have been installed by King Bana .
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The Siva Temple
 Siva
Temple at Sibsagar by the side of a splendid tank is about half a mile
in length and a quarter of a mile in breadth . The temple stands
between two smaller temples, Devi-doul and Vishnu-doul (doul-temple ).
Neghriting Devalaya
Neghriting Devalaya is also a Siva temple. In architectural
beauty it surpasses all the temples in Assam. It is situated at a distance
of 17 and 14 miles respectively from the towns of Jorhat and Golaghat.
There are four smaller temples in the four corners of the base of the
main temple .
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 Parasuram
Kund
Parasuram Kund is a shrine of all-India importance and
now falls within N.E.F.A. Thousands of pilgrims, visit the place in winter
every year, when a great fair used to be held to which wild cows, rare
fur-rugs and other curios were brought down by the mountaineers. Besides
the temple, Vaishnavite shrines started by Sankaradeva and his disciples
in the sixteenth century onwards are numerous and a unique feature of
the religious life of the Assamese. These shrines are called Satras
in the charge of a gosain (preceptor ). The four most important Satras
are Aumiatai, Dakhinpat, Kuruabahi and Garamur situated in the island
formed by the river Brahmaputra and the Louyt (Lohit) called Majuli. In
addition to the Satras, the most striking monument to the genius of Sankaradeva
and his chief disciple Madhav Deva is the Kirtanghar at Barpeta in Kamrup
district which was the centre of their activity for many years.
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Janardhan Temple
The Janardhan temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is situated
in the heart of the city at Shukaleswar hillock near Shukaleswar Ghat
of the Brahmaputra river. Click
here for more details
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Basistha Ashram
Basistha Muni Temple alias Basistha Ashram is situated
on Sadhya Chal Hill about 12km from Guwahati. It is believed to be the
Hermitage of Basistha Muni (Vasistha), a famous saint and scholar and
the author of the famous Epic Ramayana. Click
here for more details
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Hayagriva Madhava Temple
The Hayagriva Madhava Temple at Hajo, 28km west of Guwahati
is an important place of pilgrimage both for Hindus and the Buddhists.
The temple is housed in the hillock known as Manikoota Parvata. A curious
feature of this temple is that it is regarded as a Buddhist shrine by
Buddhist Lamas and Butiyas, who profess Buddhism. Click
here for more details
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Poa Mecca
Poa (Powa (1/4th) Mecca is the holy shrine of the Muslims
situated near the Hayagriva Madhava Temple at Hajo. It is said that the
foundation of the mosque partly consists of some earth brought from Mecca.
Click
here for more details
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Purva Tirupati Sri Balaji
Temple
The temple complex of the Purva Tirupati Sri Balaji sprawling
on two acres of land is located in Betkuchi, Guwahati. At the entrance
of the complex there is a Ganesha Temple. The main temple dedicated to
Lord Balaji contain a idol of the deity carved out of a single stone weighing
4 tonnes.
Click here for more details
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