Guwahati Umananda Shiva Temple- Assam

Address

Guwahati Umananda Shiva Temple- Peacock Island, Baruah Souk, North Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781030

Diety

Shiva

Introduction

Umananda Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and lies on the Umananda Island or Peacock Island amid the Brahmaputra River, opposite the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup in Guwahati, Assam. I.

Puranic Significance

It was built in 1694CE in the order of King Gadadhar Singha but was broken down by an earthquake in 1867.

The island of Peacock Island in the Brahmaputra River is home to the Umananda Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of Bhayananda. According to the Kalika Purana, in the dawn of creation, Lord Shiva scattered ashes (bhasma) at this sacred place and imparted knowledge to his consort, Parvati. Legend has it that when Lord Shiva was deep in meditation on this hillock, Kamadeva (the god of love) disrupted his yoga, and as a result of Shiva’s fiery anger, Kamadeva was reduced to ashes. Hence, the hillock is known as Bhasmacala or Bhasmakuta. This mountain is also referred to as Bhasmakuta.

The Kalika Purana further mentions the presence of Urvasikunda, where the goddess Urvasi resides, bringing nectar (Amrit) for the pleasure of Kamakhya. This association led to the island being named Urvasi Island.

The primary deity of the Umananda Temple is Umananda, a name derived from the combination of ‘Uma,’ an alternate name for Lord Shiva’s wife, and ‘Ananda,’ meaning happiness. Peacock Island is among the smallest inhabited islands, and it is considered particularly auspicious to worship here on Amavasya (new moon) days that fall on Mondays, believed to bring the highest bliss. The Siva Chaturdasi festival is a vibrant annual celebration, drawing many devotees to worship the deity.

The temple site bears evidence of a stone temple from the post-Gupta period, with stone sculptures and carvings dating back to the early medieval era. Notably, a Chaturbhuja (four-armed) stone female figure, rock-cut figures of Ganesha, and a cave are still present on the site.

The brick temple of Umananda was initially constructed in 1694 CE by Bar Phukan Garhganya Handique, following the orders of King Gadadhar Singha (1681–1696), a powerful ruler of the Ahom dynasty. Unfortunately, the original temple suffered extensive damage during a devastating earthquake in 1897. It was subsequently reconstructed by a wealthy local merchant, who chose to inscribe Vaishnavite slogans on the interior of the Shiva temple. During the brief period of Mughal rule in Kamrupa, the temple priests received land and financial support from Mughal Emperors Jahangir and Aurangzeb.