The Curse of Kamakhya Devi: A Forgotten Legend from the 15th Century

Perched atop the Nilachal Hills in Assam stands the Kamakhya Temple—one of the 51 sacred Shakti Peethas and a powerful center of Tantric worship. During the 15th century, a devout and highly learned priest named Kendukalai served at this divine shrine. Kendukalai was not only a master of Vedic rituals but also a scholar of classical music.

Impressed by his unwavering devotion, the goddess Kamakhya Devi herself would appear during the nighttime rituals and perform a divine dance before him. However, she warned Kendukalai never to reveal her sacred appearance to anyone.

But news of these mysterious divine occurrences eventually reached King Naranarayan, the ruler from the Koch dynasty. Eager to witness the miracle himself, the king summoned Kendukalai and insisted he allow him to secretly observe the goddess’s dance. Though initially reluctant, Kendukalai feared losing his position under royal pressure and reluctantly agreed.

One night, while Kendukalai was performing the puja, the king secretly watched from hiding. Realizing her trust had been broken, the enraged goddess cursed Kendukalai, turning him into stone on the spot.

She then turned to the king and delivered a powerful curse:

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“Neither you nor any of your descendants shall ever step foot inside this temple. If you or your bloodline ever look upon Nilachal Hill, your entire dynasty shall face destruction.”

From that day forward, the Koch royals avoided not just the Kamakhya Temple but even looking at the Nilachal Hills.

This fear of the curse ran so deep that even centuries later, it influenced their decisions. Gayatri Devi, a descendant of the Koch royal family and a Member of Parliament from 1962 to 1971, once had to travel from Kolkata to Guwahati. Remembering that the Nilachal Hills were visible from the Guwahati airport, she canceled her flight at the last minute. Instead, she flew to Silchar and completed the rest of her journey to Guwahati by car—just to avoid glancing at the cursed hill.