The left buttock of Sati — Kali, the Dark Destroyer, at Shonit Pur (the City of Blood), associated with the mythic battle of Usha and Aniruddha.
Kalmadhav Peetha marks where the left buttock of Sati fell. The Goddess is Kali (the Dark, Time-Devourer) and the Bhairav is Asitang (the Dark-Limbed One). Shonit Pur — "City of Blood" — is associated in mythology with King Banasura's capital. The Bhagavata Purana describes an epic battle here when Krishna and Shiva fought over Banasura's granddaughter Usha. The town of Tezpur (from "Tejo Pur" — City of the Brave/Radiant) in modern Assam is generally identified with Shonit Pur.
The Mahabhairav temple in Tezpur is the most important Bhairav shrine in Assam and is closely associated with the Kalmadhav tradition. The Agnigarh hill in Tezpur — from whose top Banasura watched the battle — provides panoramic views over the Brahmaputra and the Arunachal foothills. The combination of the Kali Peetha and the epic Puranic battle-site makes Tezpur one of the most mythologically layered towns in northeast India.
By road from Guwahati: 180 km (4 hours). By air: Tezpur/Salonibari Airport has flights from Kolkata and Guwahati.
October to April. Avoid June–September (Brahmaputra floods). The Bhairav Puja at Mahabhairav temple during Navratri is the main festival.
Combine Kalmadhav Peetha (Tezpur) with the Kamakhya Peetha in Guwahati for a two-day Assam Shakti circuit.
The Buttock (Left) of Goddess Sati fell at Kalmadhav, consecrating this land as a Shakti Peetha. The Shakti here is Kali and the guardian Bhairav is Asitang.
One of the 51 sacred Shakti Peethas — explore its unique significance in the divine circuit.
Explore →One of the 51 sacred Shakti Peethas — explore its unique significance in the divine circuit.
Explore →One of the 51 sacred Shakti Peethas — explore its unique significance in the divine circuit.
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