Umananda Island (Peacock Island)

The smallest river island in the world, Umananda Island is a place with legends aplenty, a place where man and the wilderness co-habit in peace and serenity. Umananda Island lies at the heart of the Mighty Brahmaputra River which flows through the middle of the city of Guwahati. An island with many legends associated with it has not been destroyed by the presence of human beings as yet. It was known as Peacock Island among the British Colonists who named it so based on its shape. The Island is home to a very rare and endangered species called Golden Langurs who are considered to be highly sacred among the people of the Himalayas.

The legend goes that it is the very same place where Lord Kamdev (Lord of Love) was burnt into ashes by the third eye of Lord Shiva when the former tried to disrupt his meditation thereby giving it its alternative name Bhasmchal. The major attraction of the island is the Umananda Devi Temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva and sees a large influx of devotees during religious festivals.