The Umananda Temple is a most admired temple located on Peacock Island opposite the Kachari Ghat in Guwahati on the banks of the mighty river Brahmaputra. It is believed by religious saints and devotees that the name Umananda comes from two of the Hindi words Uma and Ananda, Uma is another name for the wife of the powerful Lord Shiva and Ananda means happiness. It is a beautiful island surrounded by water which provides the view of nature with the essence of spirituality. The spiritual Umananda Temple and the beautiful island are situated at the peak of the Bhasmakala Mountain. The island was made by Ahom King Gadadhar Singha in 1694 AD but later destructed by an earthquake that occurred in 1897 but again re-established by a wealthy local merchant who was a true worshiper of Lord Shiva. Apart from the idol of Lord Shiva enshrined in the temple it also enshrines ten other Hindu Gods.
The Island provides a peaceful environment that makes people visits the place to experience the beauty and calmness of nature along with religious values and beliefs. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva as it was earlier known as Umananda devaloi and the meaning of devaloi is "The abode of Lord Shiva". According to various Hindu Mythology Lord Shiva resides in that Island as Bhayananda it is also said that the temple is the dwelling of Goddess Urvashi and it brinks Amrit for the Goddess Kamakhya. For this reason, the Umananda Island is also known variedly as the Urvashi temple. The Bhasmakuta Hill at the top of which the temple is made has a past story. Legends believe that Lord Shiva transformed Lord Kamadeva into ashes when he interrupted Lord Shiva while doing meditation which results in the occurrence of the name of Bhasmakuta.
The Umananda Temple got donations and grants in past during the reign of Mughal in Kamrupa from Mughal emperors Aurangzeb and Jahangir. The crafting used in the formation of the temple is beautifully done by skilled and talented Assamese workmen. The Umananda temple is open for visitors and worshipers for all the days of the week from morning 5:30 AM to Evening 6 PM.
Ferry timings to visit the temple and the island operate between 7 AM in the morning until 6 PM in the evening. Both government and private boat ferry services are available at the Kachari ghat, Guwahati. The private ferries are more expensive while the government ferries are less expensive. The government-owned ferries run from 9:30 to 10:00 AM onwards and stop at 4 PM and the private ferries start around 8:30 AM and continue up to 5 PM.
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