Experience · Morigaon district, Assam, India
MayongA place with a story.
A Brahmaputra-side village long feared as India's centre of tantra and black magic.
A closer look
The story
Mayong sits on the bank of the Brahmaputra in Morigaon district. For centuries travellers and even Mughal generals are said to have feared the village; the Alamgir Nama records that Aurangzeb's general Raja Ram Singh hesitated to invade Assam partly because of Mayong's reputation for sorcery. Local tradition holds that tantriks and healers practising Ayurveda and Tantra Kriya sheltered in its forests.
The full story
Excavations near the village turned up sharp implements resembling tools used in ritual sacrifice, feeding the legend further. None of this has been independently verified by archaeologists as proof of historical human sacrifice; it remains local lore documented by the museum and popular press.
In 2002 the Mayong Central Museum and Emporium opened to preserve what is left of this tantric and Ayurvedic heritage, displaying Sanchipat manuscripts, artefacts from local digs and dioramas of healing and taming rituals. It sits beside Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, home to one of the densest one-horned rhino populations in the world.
Written from the sources listed at the end of this page. If we have something wrong, tell us.
What you will see
Stops on the trail.
- 01Mayong Central Museum
- 02Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary
- 03Village folklore walk
- 04Brahmaputra riverbank
When to go
Mid-October to end of March, when Pobitora and the wider Brahmaputra valley have the most pleasant weather.
Getting there
Nearest airport is Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati, about 40 km away; visitors travel onward by road.
How to visit
- Treat black-magic stories as local folklore, not verified history — present them respectfully, not as sensational fact.
- Follow sanctuary rules at Pobitora (guides/vehicles required inside the reserve).
Before you plan
- Claims of historic human sacrifice at Mayong are folk tradition, not confirmed archaeological fact — do not present as established history.
- Let time pass
- Behave as a guest
- No smiling selfies
- Tread lightly
- Leave something behind
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