Let me start by saying sorry for the clickbait title of this article. There’s no easy darshan when in God’s house. But hey, this experiential article will help you make your Kamakhya Devi Mandir visit easier.
In this travel guide, you’ll learn must-to-know things before visiting Kamakhya Devi temple — from buying special tickets to selecting an accurate time for the visit. Doing this will save hours of your time, which would be really helpful if you’re short on time. Otherwise, you may end up spending anywhere from 7 to 13 hours in the queue to get Devi’s darshan.
Further, if you can spare some time, you’ll learn about visiting another unique temple in Guwahati. The article is based on real experiences, so I’ll sprinkle practical advice from my first-hand experience. It’ll help you make better sense and get “easy” darshan!
Read on.
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Table of Contents
How To Reach At Kamakhya Devi Mandir (Temple)
Kamakhya Devi Temple is in Guwahati, which is connected to major Indian cities. The nearest airport is obviously Guwahati Airport (GAU) or, officially, Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport.
The city is also connected to the Indian Railways rail network (station code: GHY), and you may find regular trains from various parts of the country.
Once you’re in Guwahati, you can take public buses or book a cab or taxi. Alternatively, if you plan to extend your tour from Guwahati or maybe cover Shillong (approximately 3 hours away), the best option is to rent a car.
We did the same and rented our car, Brezza, from FufuGadi — probably Guwahati’s most trusted car rental service. Our car was in good condition, clean, and well-maintained.
There’s ample parking near Kamakhya Devi Mandir as well, in case you’re wondering about parking issues. However, remember that the drive to the temple is steep, as the temple sits on the Nilachal hilltop.
About The Temple & The Legends That Surround It
The Kamakhya Devi Mandir is one of the 51 Shakti Peeth and the most revered one.
Legends say that once Sati, wife of Lord Shiva, went to a Yagna organized by her father, Prajapati Daksha, despite being uninvited and denied by Lord Shiva. Once they reached the Yagna, Prajapati Daksha started disrespecting Lord Shiva in front of everyone. He then left, and later, Sati couldn’t bear her husband’s disrespect and took her own life at the Yagna spot.
When Lord Shiva learned about this tragic incident, he became furious and started dancing, carrying Sati’s body on his shoulders. Seeing his furious anger, Lord Vishnu tried to calm him down but failed.
Lord Vishnu then sent the Sudarshan Chakra, cutting Sati’s body into 51 pieces, which fell into different places. These places are today known as Shakti Peeth. And the place where Sati’s genitalia (the vulva) fell is the same place where Kamakhya Devi Mandir lies!
Practical Advice for Getting Hassle-free Darshan
Let me put this straight: Kamakhya Devi Temple is one of the busiest temples in India. It’s not easy to get darshan as there is a humongous crowd of devotees who come here daily. But who cares? And when has anything worthwhile in life ever come easy?
That said, let me tell you how we were able to get darshan in 4-5 hours.
After recklessly traveling East India and covering Meghalaya and Assam, we were in Guwahati a day before our flight to Kolkata. We wrongly assumed that we could get darshan in 2-3 hours and wait in the queue as usual if needed. Or, worst of all, we could buy VIP tickets to ensure darshan. But it was a whole different story there when we reached the temple around 12 p.m.
Firstly, a limited number of VIP tickets are being sold. Once it’s over, they’re done for the day! I don’t know the exact number of tickets they sell, but it’s probably thousands or so.
Upon learning that all tickets were sold out, we were disappointed and puzzled, and we had anxious thoughts.
What should we do? Should we wait for 10-13 hours in the commoner’s line? Indeed, our tiresome bodies voted against that. But tomorrow’s flight is in the evening. I thought it would be impossible to get Darshan tomorrow.
We ran here and there and finally decided to ask somebody who looked “official.” We asked for help from one pundit there, and he casually said, “Koi baat nahi, agli baar aana.” In other words, he told us to leave and come another time. It was a little disrespectful, but he also said you can get tickets the following day.
Mind you, these tickets were only available offline, and online VIP tickets for Kamakhya Devi Mandir were unavailable for some reason. But please check that before you plan your visit!
There is only one way to get darshan now — wake up early and be in the queue to get VIP tickets as soon as you can. And that’s precisely what we did. We woke at 3:30 am and dressed to leave our accommodation for Devi’s darshan. I still remember the chilly feelings it gave down to my spine!
Around 4:30 a.m., we were in a queue at the temple’s main gate, which was closed. Yes, the temple officially opens around 6:30 a.m., and the gates open around 5:30 a.m. You must be in the queue here, as the ticket counter that issues VIP tickets was inside the temple premises.
We got our ticket at around 7:30 a.m. and had a pleasant darshan by 9 a.m.
Practical Tips To Keep in Mind
- Book the VIP tickets weeks before arrival if you are to get them online.
- If you are to get the VIP tickets offline, reach out early at the temple gate by 4:30 a.m. or so.
- For the general queue, you need to reach it even earlier to get a timely darshan.
- As of November 2024, VIP tickets cost INR 501. Get the updated pricing at the temple’s official website.
- The complex for your private vehicle parking opens at 6:00 am. If you arrive early in the morning, park in front of the complex gate and on the roadside, then come around 6 am to park your vehicle inside. This is only possible when you’re not solo, as you can’t leave the queue.
- Don’t forget to touch the holy water inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Kamakhya Devi Mandir. It is considered sacred!
- Around the temple and inside it, you will see pundits roaming around. They usually ask a higher fee (6-8 times) and offer you the service of providing darshan in an hour or so via their “network.” We don’t recommend this option unless you don’t have time.
More To Do: The Shiva Temple on The Peacock Island
If you have more time after visiting Kamakhya Devi Mandir, do visit Umananda temple. The lush green environment of the island, surrounded by the Brahmaputra rivers, is sure to give you peace.
Umananda is a Lord Shiva temple on the smallest inhabited riverine island in the world, covering 0.016 square kilometers. The island is known as Peacock Island, and the river on which this temple lies is Brahmaputra. You have to take a ferry ride to reach the island, which costs around INR 200 per person.
First, you hop on the ferry, which takes around 10-15 minutes to reach the island. The boat leaves you here, and you’re supposed to do the Pooja and darshan. There are some steps to reach the main temple, which is well-maintained and provides a relaxing aura.
Take whatever time you need, 30 minutes or 2 hours, to explore the temple and the island. Once you’re done, you can take a ferry boat back to mainland Guwahati. Remember to keep the ticket issued for the entire journey.
Conclusion
Kamakhya Devi Mandir is one of the busiest temples in India, and it receives a huge crowd. Now, you know how to act tactically and manage your timing well to get the darshan as soon as possible.
From getting to Guwahati to managing transport to buying VIP tickets, the information presented in this travel guide will improve your visit to the temple. We hope you’ll leverage this information and make informed decisions to have a hassle-free experience. Further, if you have more time after the Kamakhya visit, you can plan to go to another unique temple in Guwahati — the Umananda temple. It lies on a small island on the Brahmaputra River.
As always, be respectful when inside the temple. Avoid bringing negative emotions, and enjoy the journey — that’s what matters most.
An appeal: Please do not throw litter around. Use a dustbin. If you can’t find one, take the trash with you and throw it when you find one. Your small steps like this one can make the world clean and green.
