Overview
This temple, on Dakini Hill near Guwahati in Assam's Kamrup region, is asserted by some, including the Assam state government, to be the true Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga of Shiva — a claim that stands in direct contrast to the far more widely recognised Bhimashankar temple in Pune district, Maharashtra (see that page for the primary listing used on this platform). This page presents the Assam claim in its own right, as a genuinely asserted alternative rather than dismissing it, while making clear that it is not the site this platform treats as the primary Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga.
History
The core of this claim rests on the name "Dakini," referenced in the Koti Rudra Samhita section of the Shiva Purana as the location of the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga. Advocates of the Assam claim read "Dakini" as referring to the Dakini Hills near Guwahati, in what was historically the Kamrup region of ancient Assam. This reading came to wide public attention in February 2023, when the Assam state government published an advertisement asserting the claim, and Assam's Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, publicly stated that the temple "already exists in Assam" and that Assam was not seeking to "shift" the Jyotirlinga from Maharashtra, but rather asserting a pre-existing, separate site.
Spiritual Significance
For devotees who accept this reading of "Dakini," the site carries the same devotional weight attributed to a Jyotirlinga location. Its significance in the wider Hindu pilgrimage landscape, however, is considerably more localised and recent in terms of public recognition compared to the Maharashtra site, which has centuries of continuous pan-Indian devotional recognition and is the site named in most historical and devotional literature associated with the Jyotirlinga tradition.
Scriptures & Texts
Editorial note: Scripture references below are based on widely cited scholarly and traditional sources. Specific verse citations should be independently verified before publication.
The claim rests specifically on interpreting "Dakini" in the Koti Rudra Samhita of the Shiva Purana as this location rather than the Sahyadri hills location associated with the Maharashtra temple. This is a genuine textual ambiguity, not a fabricated claim, but it has not achieved the same scholarly or devotional consensus as the Maharashtra identification, and readers should understand this distinction clearly.
Prayers at Bhimashankar Temple, Assam (Dakini Hill, Guwahati)
ॐ जय शिव ओंकारा, स्वामी जय शिव ओंकारा
जय गणेश गिरिजा सुवन, मंगल मूल सुजान। कहत अयोध्यादास तुम, देहु अभय वरदान॥
जटाटवीगलज्जलप्रवाहपावितस्थले गलेऽवलम्ब्य लम्बितां भुजंगतुंगमालिकाम्।
नमामीशमीशान निर्वाणरूपं विभुं व्यापकं ब्रह्मवेदस्वरूपम्।
ब्रह्ममुरारिसुरार्चितलिङ्गं निर्मलभासितशोभितलिङ्गम्।
नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय भस्माङ्गरागाय महेश्वराय।
Pilgrimage Information
Getting there: The site is near Guwahati, Assam's largest city, with full air, rail, and road connectivity.
Family Suitability
Suitable for families of all ages, given the easy access near a major city.
Accommodation
Guwahati offers a full range of accommodation as Assam's largest city and main transport hub for the wider Northeast India region.
Local Services
Full urban services are available in Guwahati.
Do’s & Don’ts
Do
- Present this site to readers as a genuinely asserted, actively debated claim, not as an established fact or as a fabrication.
- Cross-reference the Maharashtra Bhimashankar page for the primary listing used on this platform.
Don’t
- Don't present this site as either definitively correct or definitively false, the underlying textual ambiguity is real and unresolved by any single recognised authority.
Nearby Sacred Locations
- Bhimashankar Temple, Maharashtra
The Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga site with far longer-established, pan-Indian devotional recognition; listed as primary on this platform.
- Kamakhya Temple
Major Shakti Peetha in Guwahati, one of the most significant temples in Assam.
Preservation
As a site near a major city, this location does not face the same remote-area conservation pressures as many other sites on this platform; general urban heritage-site management considerations apply.
Giving Back
Support the temple through its own local channels if visiting, and engage with the ongoing public discussion around this claim through balanced, reputable sources rather than one-sided political framing.
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-07-10. Scaffolding content: This page was seeded with well-known public information for development purposes and is pending full editorial review before publication.