Kamakhya Temple Architecture:

The hill on which the Kamakhya temple exists is known as the Nilachala or Blue
Hill. The overall architectural shape of the present Kamakhya temple, which was
rebuilt in A.D. 1565 by utilising ruins of a stone temple of 11th-12th century A.D.
at the site, had been modelled out of a combination of two different styles,
namely, the traditional nagara or North Indian and saracenic or Mughal. Thus,
being an unusual combination which came into its existence on this famous
sakti shrine of India, it has been named as the Nilachala Style of Architecture.
Incidentally, this temple-type became a dominating pattern in building of
temples through royal patronage in subsequent times of Assam.

The reason behind development of this new type by transgression of the

orthodox nagara tradition is stated in the Darang-rajavamsavali, a compilation of
17th century A.D. It is stated therein that when the masons sent by the Koch king
Naranarayan (A.D. 1540-1585) from Kochbihar failed in their several attempts to
rebuilt the sikhara or the domical part using original stone blocks, they finally
opted for using bricks following the saracenic technique of a round dome. But to
give a new look, they changed the global shape into a sixteen sided polygon
decorated with horizonal bands. Obviously, this gave birth to a new architectural
style with sustained popularily in Assam.

The Kamakhya temple possesses some significant uniqueness. This is the only
temple of Assam having a fully developed ground-plan. It consists of five
chambers, such as, garbhagriha or sanctuary, antarala or vestible, jagamohan or
principal chamber, bhogmandir or ritual chamber and natmandir or opera hall
for performing traditional dance and music associated with sukti temples. This
last chamber was added to the temple complex by the Ahom king Rajeswar
Singha (A.D. 1751-69) in A.D. 1759. It is interesting to note that the
superstructure of each of the above chambers exhibit diferent architectural
features. While the main temple contains a modified saracenic dome, the
antarala carries a two-roofed design similar to the traditional thatched cottages;
the bhogmandir (also called pancharatna) with five domes similar in appearance
to the main temple and the natmandir having a shell-roof with apsidal end
similar to some of the imparmanent namghars or prayer halls found in Assam.

It is worth the mention that these five types of superstructures served

individually as models for designing sikhara of many temples all over Assam.
Thus, the renovation of the Kamakhya temple of A.D. 1565 triggared a new
phase of architecture which had studded late-medieval Assam with a variety of
temple forms.

The holy township of Kamakhya contains several temples of historical period

enshsining pithas or santuaries of dasamahavidya or ten aspects of Devi
Kamakhya. In addition to this, we find here five Siva temples, one Vishnu temple
and a few shrines and temples of some other deities, but their sikharas are done
either in traditional naraga or rekhadeul form, or in the Nilachala style imitating
the main Kamakhya temple.