Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati

The Kamakhya Temple sits on Nilachal Hill on the Brahmaputra river in Guwahati. It is the most important of the 51 Shakti Peethas of Hindu tantric tradition — the place where Sati's yoni is said to have fallen. The temple is unusual in not having an idol of the goddess; instead, the central object of worship is a natural rock fissure shaped like a yoni, perpetually wet from an underground spring. The temple has a unique feature: every June, during the monsoon, the underground spring runs red with iron oxide, and the temple closes for three days for the Ambubachi Mela — celebrating the goddess's symbolic menstruation. The festival draws 5+ million pilgrims annually, particularly tantric practitioners from across India and Nepal. The present temple structure was rebuilt in 1665 by Koch king Naranarayan after earlier destruction; the conical beehive shikhara is in the local Nilachal style. Animal sacrifice is still practised, particularly during Durga Puja, making Kamakhya a controversial site for animal-rights advocates.