Assam: Over one lakh devotees throng to Kamakhya Temple as the annual Ambubachi Mela kicks off

Over one lakh devotees arrived at the historic Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati to attend the annual Ambubachi Mela on June 22. 

With the unique fair kicking off today, devotees in huge numbers have already arrived at the Nilachal foothills to take the blessings of Ma Kamakhya at the most revered Hindu Shrine, Kamakhya Devalaya.

Speaking to India TodayNE, few devotees expressed their satisfaction over the management and the preparation done by the administration for the comfort and safety of the devotees who have arrived here and will be staying till the last day of the fair, that is June 26.

An ascetic who arrived here in Guwahati today, said that he has been coming here for the past 5 years and have always loved the aura, the people and the preparation done by the administration so as to provide a holistic ambience for the devotees arriving here.

The temple door of Ma Kamakhya shrine will be closed and all worship stopped from 'pravritti' on the intervening night of June 22-23. One of the priests at the temple stated that the 'pravritti' timings will start at 2.30 am but no devotees will be allowed to stay at the premises beyond 9 pm, as per the directions of the district administration.

Devotees will be allowed back into the temple from the morning of June 26 after 'nivriti'.
This year, the special VIP Darshan will be stopped on June 26 and 27 as the general devotees will be getting preferences. 

Like its previous years, this year too the footfall of devotees is expected to cross 25 lakh. 

One of northeast's largest gatherings, the Ambubachi Mela is celebrated annually. The cult's founder, the Shakti, is portrayed as Kamakhya. As it is believed that Goddess Kamakhya goes through the annual cycle of menstruation, the doors to the shrine are closed from the seventh to the tenth day of the Hindu month of "Asadha" during the period of Ambubachi. The temple's doors are ceremonially opened on the twelfth day, and a large fair is held on that day. 

The word "Ambubachi" means to speak with water, and it also means that this month's rains will make the earth fertile and ready for reproduction. Everyday love is suspended during this period. Digging, plowing, sowing, and transplanting crops are all prohibited in agriculture. During these days, widows, Brahmacharis, and Brahmins avoid cooking. After Ambubachi is over on the fourth day, clothes, utensils, and household items are washed, cleaned, and purified by sprinkling sacred water. Following the cleansing and other rituals, worship of Goddess Kamakhya begins. After this, it is believed to be beneficial to enter the Shrine.

As a result, agricultural, social, and religious concepts have all played a role in the development of the phenomenon that is known as Ambubachi. As a result, it is symbolic and backed by religious authority.

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