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The Umananda Temple in Assam is situated on the Pea cock Island in the midst of the river Brahmaputra at Guwahati. The Pea cock Island was named so by some poetic British Administrator and is in the middle of the river Brahmaputra at Guwahati.


According to legend, the deity Lord Shiva is said to have resided here in the form of Bhayananda.

As per the Kalika Purana, in the beginning of the creation, Shiva sprinkled ashes (bhasma) at this place and had imparted knowledge to Parvati (his consort).

It is said that, when Lord Shiva was in meditation on this hillock, Kamadeva interrupted his yoga and was therefore burnt to ashes by the fire of Siva's anger and hence the hillock got the name Bhasmacala.

This mountain is also named as Bhasmakuta. The Kalika Purana also states that Urvasikunda is situated here and here resides the goddess Urvasi who brings Amrit (nectar) for the enjoyment of Kamakhya and hence the island got the name Urvasi Island.

The presiding deity for the temple is Umananda (Tatrasti bhagavan sambhu- ruma- nandakarah Prabhu) that is Lord Shiva. It is believed that, worship here on the Amavasya day when it falls on Monday brings the highest bliss.

The Shiva Chaturdasi is the most colourful festival that is held here annually. Many devotees come to the temple on this occasion for the worship of the deity.


The Umananda temple was built in 1694 A.D. by the Bar Phukan Garhganya Handique by the order of King Gadadhar Singh (1681- 1696), one of the ablest and strongest rulers of the Ahom dynasty. The original temple here was however immensely damaged by a devastating earthquake of 1897.

Later the temple was reconstructed by a rich local merchant who chose to inscribe the interior part of a Siva temple with Vaisnavite slogans.

The Structure of the Umanand Temple has inherited some rock-cut figures, which speak passionately of the masterly skill of the Assamese craftsmen. The sculptures have shown that the worshippers there followed all the principal Hindu gods

Nearby tourist places to Umananda Temple Manas National Park Tezpur Guwahati

The devotees can find representations of Surya, Ganesha, Shiva and Devi (with a scorpion as emblem) in addition to those of Vishnu and his ten incarnations (avatar).

The city of Guwahati offers several private hotels which range from luxury to budget-friendly ones. Fish is a major delicacy in Assam and the visitors can savour mouthwatering curries in and around Paltan Bazar at cheap rates. There are excellent accommodation facilities available in and around Guwahati in Assam.

• Through Airways Through Airways, the nearest airport is at Guwahati. From here the devotees can take a ferry to the Pea Cock Island to visit the temple.


• Through Railways - Through Railways, the closest railhead is at Guwahati, from here one can take a ferry to the Pea Cock Island in the middle of the river Brahmaputra. The railhead at Guwahati is connected to almost all the major cities of India.


• Through Roadways- Through Road Transport, the city of Guwahati is linked to all the major cities of Assam and nearby states. One can easily reach Guwahati by road from any part of the state.


• Through Waterways -The Country boats that are available at this place take the visitors to the island. Through Water Transport the temple resides in an Island amidst the Brahmaputra River, the devotees can take a ferry to reach the temple. The ferries are arranged by the state tourism department for the tourists from all the parts of India and around the world.