Mahamaya Dham, Bogribari
Devi as Mahamaya temple · Bogribari (Bagribari), Kokrajhar (formerly associated with Dhubri), Assam, India
Mahamaya Dham is a temple of the goddess Mahamaya at Bogribari (also spelled Bagribari) in Kokrajhar district of Lower Assam, part of the Bodoland Territorial Region. Wikipedia places it about 30 km east of Dhubri town and 10 km west of Bilasipara, and Outlook Traveller about 24 km from Kokrajhar town.
The temple is regarded as one of the major Shakti shrines of Lower Assam, and is best known for a Durga Puja that, according to tradition, has been held here without a break for about four hundred years. A smaller shrine at Snaan Ghat on the Tipkai river, about 2 km away, is linked with the goddess's bathing place.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Mahamaya Dham, Bogribari
According to Wikipedia and Outlook Traveller, Mahamaya was originally worshipped by the local people of the Parvatjowar area and was the presiding deity of the Parvatjowar zamindars (landlords). Over time her worship spread across the region, and both sources describe her as now revered by Hindus throughout Lower Assam. Outlook Traveller describes the temple as regarded as one of the greatest Shakti peethas of the region.
The nearby Mahamaya Snaan Ghat temple stands on the bank of the Tipkai, a tributary of the Brahmaputra. Local belief holds that the goddess bathed at this spot, which gives the place its name. Wikipedia records that a Shakti Yagya is performed there by the temple priests every year around January.
Heritage
History of Mahamaya Dham, Bogribari
Little written history of the temple is available. The Assam Tribune, reporting on the puja, records the local tradition that the Durga Puja at the temple was started by Hatibar Choudhury, zamindar of the Bagribari estate, about four centuries ago, and that it has been performed without interruption since. The newspaper's reports give the puja's age as 401 and 402 years in successive years. The Assam Tribune describes the temple as lying in what is now the Bodoland (BTAD) area; older accounts, and Wikipedia's external link to the Dhubri district website, associate it with Dhubri.
The Durga Puja is run by the temple complex's management committee, the Assam Tribune reports, and draws very large crowds; the committee expected more than a lakh devotees at one festival. Wikipedia notes that the temple's tradition of animal sacrifice during Durga Puja is about 400 years old and that it has faced growing opposition from animal-welfare campaigners.
Architecture and sacred features
Wikipedia's infobox describes the temple's architecture as Nilachal style but gives no further detail, and no detailed architectural description was found in other sources. Outlook Traveller's photographs show a flight of steps leading up to the temple.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
Mahamaya Dham is a working temple where animal sacrifice is part of the Durga Puja tradition; visitors who prefer not to witness it may wish to avoid the Navami days of the puja. Crowds are very large during Durga Puja and the Bohag fair. Confirm current timings and arrangements with the temple management committee or the Kokrajhar district administration before visiting.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Temple management committee (per the Assam Tribune) before travelling. Last reviewed 1 November 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Mahamaya Dham, Bogribari
Durga Puja
The temple's main festival, held for about four centuries according to tradition. The Assam Tribune reports Chandi, Sandhi, Marai and Padma pujas alongside it, daily offerings of a thousand bel leaves, songs based on the Padma Purana story, and animal sacrifice, especially on Navami. By tradition the goddess's image is not immersed.
Sat Bisoma Mela
A fair held every April at the start of the Assamese new year, which Outlook Traveller says draws large numbers of pilgrims and tourists.
Shakti Yagya at Snaan Ghat
An annual fire ritual performed by the temple priests at the Snaan Ghat shrine, according to Wikipedia.
Location
How to Reach Mahamaya Dham, Bogribari
Mahamaya Dham is about 24 km from Kokrajhar town, about 45 minutes by road, according to Outlook Traveller, which notes that Kokrajhar can be reached by road and rail from Guwahati. Wikipedia gives the temple as about 30 km east of Dhubri and 10 km west of Bilasipara.
Location: Bogribari (Bagribari), Kokrajhar (formerly associated with Dhubri), Assam, India
Questions
Mahamaya Dham, Bogribari: Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Mahamaya Dham?
At Bogribari (Bagribari) in Kokrajhar district, Lower Assam, about 24 km from Kokrajhar town and, according to Wikipedia, about 30 km east of Dhubri and 10 km west of Bilasipara.
Is Mahamaya Dham in Dhubri or Kokrajhar district?
It is now in the Parbatjhora sub-division of Kokrajhar district, within the Bodoland Territorial Region. It was earlier associated with Dhubri, and many older accounts describe it that way.
How old is the Durga Puja at Mahamaya Dham?
According to local tradition reported by the Assam Tribune, it was begun about 400 years ago by Hatibar Choudhury, zamindar of the Bagribari estate, and has been held without a break since.
What is the Mahamaya Snaan Ghat?
A shrine on the Tipkai river about 2 km from the main temple, where local belief holds the goddess bathed. A Shakti Yagya is held there every year around January.
Is animal sacrifice performed at Mahamaya Dham?
Yes. Animal sacrifice during Durga Puja is a long-standing tradition here, reported by the Assam Tribune and Wikipedia, and it has drawn opposition from animal-welfare campaigners.
What is the Sat Bisoma Mela?
A fair held at the temple every April, from Chaitra Sankranti to the 6th of Bohag, which draws large crowds, according to Outlook Traveller.
Sources and attribution
- Wikipedia — Mahamaya Dham
- Outlook Traveller — Sacred Spaces of Bodoland (Surajit Sharma, 29 January 2023)
- The Assam Tribune — 401-year-old Durga Puja gets under way at Mahamaya
- The Assam Tribune — Durga Puja at Mahamaya temple begins tomorrow
Further reading: Mahamaya Dham, Bogribari on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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