Guwahati: The sacred annual ‘Ambubachi Mela’ begins at Shakti Peeth Maa Kamakhya Temple starting from June 22. The spiritual devotion around Nilachal Hill is high with lakhs of devotees across the nation thronging into the Shakti Peeth to seek blessings of the Kamakhya Devi during the secrad period.
Drums and Taal are beating, prayers are rising, and laks of pilgrims have already begun pouring into Guwahati from across the country and beyond. The Ambubachi Mela — one of the most sacred and spiritually charged festivals in eastern India — has begun at the historic Kamakhya Temple.
The sacred observance formally commenced on Sunday evening with the ‘Pravritti’ ritual, performed at precisely 9:08 pm and 42 seconds. With that, the doors of the sanctum sanctorum were sealed shut. They will remain closed for three full days and three nights.
“With the start of Pravritti at 9pm 08 minute 42 secocon on 22nd June the temple gate will be closed for devotees till it opens after the rituals on the early morning of 26 June”, Said Gautam Sharma, Doloi (Priest) of the temple management committee.
The Kamakhya Devalaya Prabandhan Sammittee is expecting over eight lakh devotees, ascetics, saints, and tourists to visit the temple over the course of the five-day mela.
What does Ambubachi mean?
For those unfamiliar with the tradition, Ambubachi marks the period of the goddess Kamakhya’s symbolic annual menstruation cycle — a belief that is central to Shakti worship and Tantric traditions. During this time, the earth itself is considered to be in a state of rest, and the temple observes complete ritual seclusion.
“All temples of the state will be closed for next 3 days to observe the ‘Saat’ period which is believed to be the annual menstruation period of Kamakhya Devi”, said Prabhat Sharma, Doloi of Kamakhya temple.
No devotee is permitted to enter the inner shrine during these three days. All daily religious ceremonies inside the sanctum are suspended in keeping with centuries-old customs. The goddess, in a sense, rests — and the faithful wait.
The temple is scheduled to reopen in the early hours of June 26, following the ‘Nivritti’ ceremony, which marks the conclusion of this sacred phase. After the prescribed purification rituals are completed, pilgrims will once again be allowed to enter and offer their prayers.
The Mahakumbh of the East
Perched atop the Nilachal Hills, the Kamakhya Temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas recognised in Hindu tradition and arguably the most important seat of Tantric worship in the country. The Ambubachi Mela draws not just ordinary pilgrims but also thousands of sadhus, tantriks, and spiritual seekers who consider this period exceptionally powerful.
Kamakhya Devalaya Prabandhan Sammittee informed that nearly 3,000 sadhus from various parts of India have already assembled at the temple premises. That number is expected to climb steadily over the coming days as the mela reaches its peak.
Kamrup (M) district administration informed that last year during the mela nearly 7 lakh 71 thousand devotees visited the holy shrine. Every year the number of pilgrims has been growing by over one lakh for the last couple of years.
Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is running several special trains for the devotees for Ambubachi Mela. The Kamrup (Metro) district administration has put a comprehensive set of arrangements in place to ensure that the mela runs smoothly and safely.
Roads leading to Nilachal Hills have been repaired. Sanitation drives have been carried out. Beautification work has been undertaken across key areas. Additional security personnel have been deployed across the temple premises and surrounding zones.
Three mega camps has been set up with medical and food facilities for the devotees around the Neelachal hill. City buses and ASTC services will operate via the Nilachal Flyover corridor. However, city buses will only be allowed to drop passengers at specific points and cannot stop at either end of the flyover. Long-distance and inter-district buses will be kept off key urban stretches entirely.
Pilgrims arriving at Kamakhya Railway Station will be transported via a dedicated route to temporary holding camps at Pandu Port.
A special ferry service has also been arranged. Only vehicles with official passes issued by the district administration, along with authorised ferry cars, will be permitted on the route from Pandu Temple Ghat to Maa Kamakhya Temple via Bangshibagan.
Ambubachi is not a spectacle. It is a feeling — ancient, raw, and deeply personal for those who make the journey to Nilachal Hills every year. Whether they come as believers, seekers, or simply the curious, most leave with something they did not have before.
As the gates of the sanctum remain closed and the faithful wait in patient devotion, Guwahati has once again become the spiritual capital of eastern India. The goddess rests. And the world watches.
