22 June : Thousands of devotees from all over the country and abroad have thronged the famous Kamakhya temple atop the Neelachal Hills in Guwahati on the occasion of the annual Ambubasi mela.
Elaborate arrangements have been made by the temple authorities with the help of the Kamrup district administration to ensure security of the visiting devotees.
Four companies of armed police and paramilitary troppers have been deployed in and around the temple premises to thwart any untoward incident during the week-long annual fair,beginning on Tuesday.
According to Temple Committee, this time a crowd of over 12 lakh is expected for the Ambubachi mela.
Ambubasi is closely related to the tantrik rituals of the Hindu religion that are performed during this monsoon festival.
The doors of the temple remain closed for three days during which the devotees accumulate in the temple premises and wait for the auspicious fourth day when they are allowed to worship the Goddess inside the temple.
The accumulation of sadhus, sanyasins and priests, and the locally available art and craft items for sale on the roadside, make it an interesting place to visit and witness the festivities involved during this mela.
The pandits chanting mantras on behalf of the devotees, pilgrims performing pujas, all these make the fair an interesting affair.
It usually rains during this time for almost a week, a phenomenon known locally as xaat. It is believed that this rain purifies the earth, making it ready for harvesting.