Manikarneswar Devalaya (Assamese: মণিকৰ্ণেশ্বৰ দেৱালয়), situated at the top of Manikhalaya hill in Assam, North Guwahati is a temple dedicated to god Shiva. The present brick temple was built by Ahom King Rajeswar Singha[1] in 1755 C.E. upon a star-shaped ground plan of a stone temple of the 10–11th century and made arrangements for regular worship at this temple.[2] [3]
The temple's shikhara got destroyed in the earthquake of 1897 and is currently roofed with a tin.[4]
According to local legend, when god Shiva was roaming with the body of his wife Sati after Daksha yajna, he rested under a bel tree situated on the Manisaila hill. According to another legend from Kalika purana, after Narakasura looted invaluable precious stones from beneath the sea, heaven, and earth, he deposited them in the shape of a mountain. The mountain thus came to be known as 'Manikarneswar'.[5]
