Digital Desk: The Ambubachi Mela is one of the large and vibrant gatherings of devotees at the Kamakhya temple in Assam during the month of June. The Kamakhya Temple, situated at Nilachal hills in Guwahati, is devoted to the mother goddess Kamakhya and is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas. The temple has no idol of the goddess, but it worships a stone in the shape of 'Yoni.'
Do You Know What Ambubachi Festival Is?
The Ambubachi celebration is held during the monsoon season in honour of Goddess Kamakhya, who is said to be going through her monthly menstrual cycle at this time. The Goddess is said to provide fertility to the devotees, which is thought to bless and nurture them. As part of traditional seclusion during menstruation, the temple is closed for three days, commencing on the seventh day of the Hindu calendar's "Ashadh" month and ending on the tenth day. The temple's doors are ritually opened on the twelfth day, and a large fair is held at the temple.
Importance of Ambubachi Festival
The word "ambubachi" means "spoken with water," implying that the rains expected this month would render the ground fertile and ready for reproduction. During this time, daily worship is not permitted. All agricultural activities are prohibited, including excavating, ploughing, sowing, and transplanting crops. During these days, devotees avoid eating cooked foods. Used utensils, clothes, and other belongings are washed and symbolically purified by sprinkling water on the fourth day.
After cleaning and other procedures, Goddess Kamakhya is worshipped. Following these rituals, it is believed auspicious to enter the temple. The prasad is distributed to the devotees as well. The prasad comes in two varieties: Angodak and Angabastra. Angodak means 'water from the spring,' and Angabastra means 'cloth covering the body,' referring to a piece of red cloth used to cover the stone yoni throughout the days of menstruation.
Ambubachi Mela 2022
During the last two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, the shrine was locked and devotees were not allowed inside. As all limitations have been lifted in the state, the festival will be held from June 22 to June 26 this year. However, because many devotees are expected to attend the celebration, priests are concerned that it could lead to a rapid spread of Covid-19 and that necessary safeguards may not be taken. They are worried that Ambubachi may become a hotspot for Covid-19.
Instead of making arrangements for mega-accommodation camps, the priests suggested to the authorities that devotees pray from their houses and prasad be delivered to their homes via courier services. Despite Covid-19, sadhus flock to the shrine in large numbers on certain occasions. The festival, which was the largest in history, drew 25 lakhs worshipers in 2019.
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