Dirgheshwari Temple

Getting there

• By road

  The temple is in North Guwahati and is easily reached by road.

Why devotees come here

Dirgheshwari Temple stands on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra in North Guwahati, Assam. It is one of the most important Devi shrines of Assam, and its rock carvings date back to the 11th and 12th centuries.

Dirgheshwari is considered a Shakta pitha, a seat of Shakti worship, and Devi Durga is worshipped here as Dirgheshwari. Local people consider it the second-most holiest place after Kamakhya Temple. It is one of the most important Devi Tirthas of Assam. Legend says Shiva carried Sati's body across the world in grief. It is also said that the sage Markandeya, one of the immortals, performed a great penance to Devi Durga here.

The present brick temple was built by the Ahom king Swargadeo Siva Singha between 1714 and 1744. In 1756 King Rajeswar Singha visited the temple and granted more land and men for its upkeep.

The temple is built of brick at the top of a hill filled with solid rock. Its sanctum, where the idol of Devi Durga was kept, is an underground chamber in a small cave. Many images of gods and goddesses are carved into the rocks of the hill, and a large Ganesha is carved into the rock at the entrance. The rock-cut images are older than the brick temple. They date from the 11th and 12th centuries.

Festivals

• Every yearDurga Puja

  The main annual festival here, which devotees from far away come to attend. Animal sacrifice, especially of buffaloes, is part of the Puja.

Tips for your visit

• The inner sanctum is an underground chamber in a small cave.
• The temple sits at the top of a hill.

Questions people ask