Thousands of devotees and sadhus have gathered at the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati for the Ambubachi Mela.

It is held from June 22 to 26 after a gap of three years. The mela was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ambubachi Mela

• Ambubachi Mela is the largest religious congregation in the northeast where lakhs of devotees, tantriks, sadhus and tourists visit the temple. The authorities are expecting at least 10 lakh footfall during the Mela.

• It is the most important festival of the Kamakhya temple and is celebrated in the month of June every year.

• Kamakhya Temple is considered as the oldest of the 51 Shakti Peethas.

• The temple is located on Nilachal Hills in western part of Guwahati on adjoining banks of Brahmaputra river. 

• Kamakhya Temple is an important pilgrimage destination especially for Tantrik worshipers.

• The belief is that Kamakhya embodies the mother cult, the Shakti. During the period of Ambubachi from the seventh to the tenth day of the Hindu month of “Asadha”, the doors of the shrine are closed to all as it is believed that Goddess Kamakhya goes through the annual cycle of menstruation. On the twelfth day, the doors are opened ceremonially and a big fair is held at the temple premises on that day.

• Ambubachi means “spoken with water” and it also implies that the rains expected during this month make the earth fertile.

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