Four-Day Ambubachi Mela Begins at Kamakhya Temple, Over 8 Lakh Devotees Expected
Annual festival marking Goddess Kamakhya's symbolic menstruation cycle starts at Nilachal Hills amid elaborate security and crowd-management arrangements.
The four-day Ambubachi Mela, one of India's most significant religious and tantric festivals, began at the historic Kamakhya Temple atop Nilachal Hills in Guwahati on Monday, with over eight lakh devotees expected to visit during the event.
The annual festival marks the symbolic menstruation cycle of Goddess Kamakhya and holds special significance in Shakta and Tantric traditions. As per temple customs, the sanctum sanctorum will remain closed for three days from Monday evening during the 'Pravritti' ritual, signifying the goddess's period of rest. The temple will reopen on June 26 after 'Nivritti' and purification ceremonies.
Devotees will receive the sacred Rakta Bastra (red cloth) as prasad after the temple reopens, which is believed to carry the blessings of the goddess.
Temple authorities said around 4,000 to 6,000 devotees visited the shrine on Sunday, while nearly 20,000 pilgrims had already gathered on Nilachal Hills ahead of the mela's commencement.
The Assam government and temple management have put in place extensive arrangements for the smooth conduct of the festival, allocating Rs 4.55 crore across 24 departments. Special measures covering security, healthcare, sanitation, accommodation, food distribution, transportation and crowd management have been implemented.
The district administration has issued advisories urging public cooperation, while Guwahati Traffic Police have enforced special traffic regulations to manage the expected influx of pilgrims. Movement of commercial goods vehicles and slow-moving transport will remain restricted between 5 am and 11 pm from June 22 to 26 to ease congestion around the temple area.
Authorities have also advised residents to plan their travel in advance, anticipating traffic disruptions due to the large number of visitors and ongoing infrastructure works in the city.
