GUWAHATI: Thousands of devotees from across the country gathered at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati to offer prayers and seek blessings as the annual Ambubachi Mela began on Monday, June 22.
ALSO READ: WATCH | Assam Has Become a Recurring Theme in Samay Raina’s Comedy
Large crowds gathered at the temple premises ahead of the scheduled closure of the shrine for the observance of Ambubachi Mahayog. The sacred Prabritti rituals are scheduled to begin at 9:08:43 PM on Monday, after which the temple’s main doors will remain closed for three days.
The temple will reopen on the morning of June 26 following the Nibriti rituals and the ceremonial holy bath of Maa Bhagawati.
Temple authorities will conduct a Mahayajna continuously from June 23 to June 25, while rituals associated with the Kamakhya Puja will continue after the reopening. The main ceremonial observances are scheduled for June 26.
Ambubachi Mela, regarded as one of the most significant observances in Shakti worship, marks the annual menstrual cycle of Goddess Kamakhya. Devotees believe the period symbolises the creative and nurturing power of the divine feminine.
The annual festival attracts lakhs of devotees, ascetics and pilgrims to the Nilachal Hills every year.