The Ambubachi Festival 2023: Some Unknown Facts About The Festival Of Kamakhya Devi

Add as a preferred source on Google

The Kamakhya temple where the tantric fertility festival or Ambubachi festival is celebrated annually in June is in Guwahati Assam. The Goddess here, the Kamakhya Devi, menstruates which is when the period gets marked for Ambubachi festival.

The mela this time is celebrated between 22 to 26 June during which time, the temple door is closed for four days.

Mid-June time in Assamese is called Ahaar and a four day festival is celebrated at this time. The menstruation of the Goddess is yearly and Ambubachi festival is a festival that is celebrated in honour of the Goddess.

Ambubachi mela is known as Ameti festival or tantric fertility festival. This is attended by a huge number of Tantrics from all corners of the country to participate in the worship of Kamakhya devi.

Belief And Traditions

Ambubachi has a religious background. This is the time when it rains, and the earth gets fertile and ready to procreate.

The Ambubachi Mela celebrates the annual menstrual cycle of Maa Kamakhya. The god mother of the earth is also a woman in her basic form. Shakti goes through menses during the Ambubachi time, and hence the temple is closed for three days. A number of rituals are performed for hours together to retrieve the purity of the goddess in the temple.

Events During The Mela

Ambubachi mela is when the Kamakhya temple is closed for three days during the Ambubachi Mela. There are certain restriction for devotees to follow during this time.

1. No special pujas to be performed this time. The statue of Kali, Durga, Jagaddhatri, Vipattarini, Sheetala, Chandi are covered with a red cloth. Only we have to attend the grand festival that is organized by the Kamakhya temple.

2. While doing puja, mantras must not be uttered. Only agarbattis and lamp must be lit and pranams to be done at her feet.

3. No auspicious event must be celebrated during Ambubachi.

4. Plantation or agricultural tasks should not be carried out..

5 You can do gurupuja at this time.

6. Mantras initiated by Guru can be chanted now.

7.. Have a glimpse of the Root of Tulsi tree and pour water to it.

8.. People who have been initiated in shakta mantras are allowed to chant.

9. It is strictly required to remove the red cloth that covers the goddesses after ambubachi.

Take a thorough cleansing bath and worship Kamakhya. Offer mangoes and milk to the goddess.

These rules are followed by women during their normal menstruating days at their homes.

Events After The Mela

It is only after the completion of three days that the doors open again, to allow devotees inside. Devotees visit the goddess and receive the prasad that is distributed amongst them.

The Devotees And Rakta Bastra

Devotees throng to the temple in large numbers to receive the raktha bastra and get the blessings of the goddess.

Those babas with matted locks and deer skin clothing come out side of their habitats to allow people a glimpse of their tantric abilities and their mystical way of life. Rest of the year they remain secluded and untraceable.

Religious priests perform the grand puja which several pilgrims and babas attend. People from all over the world visit here to receive the raktha vastra as Mothers blessing. Priests worship the mother in various ways possible.

Goddess Kamakhya 'Prasad '

The fourth day of the Melaa is the day for the distribution of the prasad. There are two ways in which it is distributed-the Angodak and Angabastra.

Angodak is the water from the spring where as angabastra means the piece of cloth that covers the body. This is actually the piece of red cloth that is used to cover the yoni-shaped stone during the menstrual cycle of the Goddess.

During the fourth day, prasad or the sacred food is distributed after seeking Maa Kamakhya's blessing which is considered very special.