The Ambubachi Mela / অম্বুবাচী মেলা is a significant annual festival held in the month of June at the Kamakhya Temple situated atop Nilkachal Hills, Guwahati, Assam, India. Here are some key facts about this event:
1. **Date and Duration**:
- The festival is celebrated in the Assamese month of Aahar (mid-June) and typically lasts for four days. This year its from 22nd to 26th June
2. **Significance**:
- The Ambubachi Mela is associated with the yearly menstruation cycle of the goddess Kamakhya, who is revered as the mother goddess of creation. It marks the period during which the goddess is believed to undergo her annual menstrual cycle.
3. **Kamakhya Temple**:
- The Kamakhya Temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in India and is located on the Nilachal Hill in Guwahati. It is a prominent pilgrimage site for devotees of the Shakti cult.
4. **Rituals and Observances**:
- During the festival, the temple remains closed for three days, symbolizing the goddess's period of menstruation. Devotees abstain from agricultural work and other daily activities during this time.
- On the fourth day, after the purification rituals, the temple doors are reopened, and a grand celebration follows, allowing devotees to seek blessings from the goddess.
5. **Pilgrimage and Attendance**:
- The Ambubachi Mela attracts thousands of pilgrims, sadhus (holy men), and tourists from across India and abroad. The influx of visitors transforms the temple premises into a vibrant and bustling hub of religious activity.
6. **Cultural and Spiritual Activities**:
- Various cultural programs, devotional songs, and spiritual discourses are organized during the mela. It is also an opportunity for sadhus to showcase their ascetic practices and spiritual wisdom.
7. **Economic Impact**:
- The festival provides a significant economic boost to the local economy, with numerous stalls and vendors catering to the needs of the pilgrims and tourists.
8. **Unique Traditions**:
- Unlike many other Hindu festivals, which celebrate fertility and prosperity through rituals involving agricultural practices, the Ambubachi Mela centers on the natural biological process of menstruation, highlighting its spiritual significance.
The Ambubachi Mela is not only a religious event but also a cultural phenomenon that emphasizes the natural cycles of life and the divine feminine.
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