Places to visit around Nilachal Hill

Mahakali is considered to be the prime Goddess for sadhana. This form of the Devi is dark-skinned with disheveled hair with a garland of severed human heads. She holds a severed human head and a kharga (a large machete) in her left hands and a barmudra and in her right hand.

She is having a half-moon on her forehead. Mahakali's major forms are Dakshinakali, Gujyakali, Bhadrakali, Sashankali and Mahakalbhairavi. Dakshinakali is adhisthatri devi who governs the planet Shani. So she is worshipped on Saturday. The temple to Mahakali is situated in east of Kamakhya.

Tara Devi gives ‘Bak-shakti’ i.e power of speech. She is also 'Nil Saraswati'. Devi is fair-skinned, three eyes and four hands. She holds a Kharga, a Kartarika, a severed human head and a water lily. She wears a garland of human heads and wears a Tiger Skin. Tara Devi is shown standing on a pyre. According to Maya Tantra, Tara Devi has eight forms: Tara, Urga, Mohagra, Bajra, Nila, Saraswati, Kameshwari and Bhadrakali. When prayed she comes to the aid of people in trouble and so known as 'Tara'.

As Nil Saraswati, She grants power of speech. As Ugratara, She protects people from deep fear. Sage Basistha placed Tara Devi near Jorpukhuri of present Guwahati-the famous mandir is known a ‘Ugratara Mandir’. The Tara mandir in Nilachal Parvat lies between Mahakali and Kamakhya temple. Tara is the adhisthatri devi of Guru Brihaspati (Thursday) and is considered Devi who guides and protects and offers the ultimate knowledge that leads to salvation.

Chhinnamasta Devi is headless and is in a fearsome look. Her cutout head lies next to her. She is shown drinking the blood that sprouts out of Her neck. Her hair is not tied disciplined. She holds human heads and weapons in her hands. She too wears a garland of human heads and her left leg in a forward position. Moreover, devi is seem standing on Madan (Kam) and Rati who are locked in an embrace. Devi's main associates Bornini and Dakini are nearby and also and the blood that comes out like a fountain from Devi's neck. Chinnamasta Devi is the adhisthatri devi of Rahu (Wednesday). This temple of nilachal parvat adjoins the Kameshwar temple is only accessed through a steep and narrow flight of stairs that tests one's physical skills to reach.

Colour of Devi is pale-skinned, tall, restless and wears dirty clothes. She is in the form of a widow. She has rukhya eyes and holds weapons in her three hands while the fourth is in a bormudra gesture. She has a large ugly nose and a fearsome look. Dhumawati devi is the adhisthatri devi of Ketu (Thursday). The colour of this widow devi is naturally white.

Mahakali is considered to be the prime Goddess for sadhana. This form of the Devi is dark-skinned with disheveled hair with a garland of severed human heads. She holds a severed human head and a kharga (a large machete) in her left hands and a barmudra and in her right hand.

She is having a half-moon on her forehead. Mahakali's major forms are Dakshinakali, Gujyakali, Bhadrakali, Sashankali and Mahakalbhairavi. Dakshinakali is adhisthatri devi who governs the planet Shani. So she is worshipped on Saturday. The temple to Mahakali is situated in east of Kamakhya.

The colour of Bhubaneswari Devi's skin is like the rays of the sun at dawn.There is a half-moon on her forehead, has three eyes. Out of four hands,in two hands She holds a spear and a lasso while the other two hands are in the- Barmudra and Abhaymudra. Bhubaneshwari temple is situated at elevation 690feet, highest point of Nilachal Parvat. The Puranas say that Bhubaneshwari temple is at the top of the Brahma Parvat, so Nilachal Parvat is no other than Brahma Parvat. Devi is mother of universe whose Body is the Cosmos. Childless couples with marital problems will get boon from Devi who is adhisthatri devi of Shukra (Friday).

Matangi Devi is the `Tantric Saraswati' and the adhisthatri devi of Rabi (Sunday). She sits on a bejeweled throne, sports a white half-moon on her forehead. In her four hands She holds a kharga, khetak, lasso and spear. Apart from the natural naibaidya, She likes rice custard sweetened with sugar. Kamala Devi is the `Tantric Lakshmi' and the adhisthatri devi of the Moon (Monday). She wears a crown of jewels, is wraped in a red vastra. Godness is seated on a lotuses in two hands and other two are in the bormudra and abhaymudra gesture. Four white elephants around her are seen performing abhishek. The two devis Matangi and Kamala are seated in the garba griha of the main temple to the east of the Yoni Mudra Peeth.

SApart from these ten `Dasamahavidya' temples in Nilachal Parbat, there are five temples dedicated to Maheshwar (Shiva). They are Siddheshwar, Kameshwar, Kotilinga, Amra Tokreshwar and Kedareshwar. Of these Shiva temples, the Kotiling and Siddheshwar can be reached after short treks downhill while Kameshwar is within the main Kamakhya temple complex. Tokreshwar temple is connected with a motorable road and is situated just beside the Brahmaputra river. Kedareshwar is adjacent to the Kamakhya temple complex. The other temples in Nilachal Parbat are the Jai Durga, Bana Durga, Namath Kali, Hanuman, Ganesh, Pandunath, Gadadhar and Sitala temples. The kundas or ponds in Nilachal Parvat are: Saubhagya kunda, Wrin Mochan kunda, Amrit kunda, Durga kunda, Gaya kunda and Kaso Pukhuri. It is said that a round of all the temples in Nilachal Parbat on foot an arduow task that would take a couple of days is sure to help achive complete salvation.