Guwahati: The temple entrance of Mother Goddess Kameswari will be opened on June 26, shortly after Nibritti, the end of Ambubachi associated rites at Kamakhya Devalaya atop Nilachal hills on the south bank of the mighty Brahmaputra river. The Prabritti commenced at 02:06:07 pm on Tuesday as the temple looked deserted because of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.
The sacred temple campus at the heart of Guwahati city in Kamrup metropolitan district remains closed till June 30.
The annual Ambubachi festival has been observed with necessary rituals only and continues till Nibritti at 02:29:09 is on 26 June. No devotees, pilgrims, onlookers, etc are allowed to enter the Shaktipeeth premises till Wednesday next, informed priest Mohit Sharma of the most revered temple.
Recognized as the biggest religious congregation in eastern Bharat, the four-day Ambubachi (also known as Aamoti or Ambabati) festival has been canceled for the second consecutive time. The religious mela attracts hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims from different parts of the country and abroad. Devotees believe that during the period, Mother Earth experiences her annual cycle of menstruation reflecting in Devi Kamakhya’s Yoni.
During this time, no religious performances are planned. The farmers across the Hindu world avoid cultivating works so that the Earth can get an undisturbed ambiance. The abode of Kamakhya, one of 51 Hindu holy shrines, does not contain any image or statue of the deity. Rather, a sculptured image of Yoni of the Goddess in a cave is seen inside the main temple. A natural spring believes in keeping the stone moist all the time.
The government readied a new alternate road to the temple from Pandu on the bank of Brahmaputra to reduce the clogging of devotees during the festival. The Ambubachi mela in 2019 witnessed the gathering of over 20 lakh people in the century-old shrine, influencing generations of Shakti cult followers, which emerged as a rare challenge to the district administration to manage their foods, shelters, and securities.
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