Experience · Morigaon district, Assam, India01 / 07

Mayong

“A Brahmaputra-side village long feared as India's centre of tantra and black magic.”

The Story

A place with a memory.

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.

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.

Key Historical Facts

DistrictMorigaon district, Assam

Distance from GuwahatiAbout 40 km

Museum opened1 November 2002

Museum foundersINTACH, Gerda Henkel Stiftung (Germany) and the Nath Yogi Development Council

What you will see

Stops on the trail.

Mayong Central Museum

Sanchipat manuscripts, tantric relics and dioramas of sorcery and healing rituals.

Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary

Jeep and elephant safaris to see one-horned rhinos, next door to Mayong village.

Village folklore walk

Guided walks through Mayong hear first-hand black-magic legends from residents.

Brahmaputra riverbank

Quiet river views a short walk from the village centre.

Practical Intelligence

Visiting with dignity.

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).

Plan this experience

Ready to walk Mayong?

Message us with your desired travel dates and group details. We will formulate a tailored route with verified heritage guides and current pricing.

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