India is famous for being the land of spirituality, traditions, and Divine festivals. Here, countless festivals take place, which symbolise our wast culture. There is another very powerful festival that occurs in Guwahati, Assam. The Ambubachi Mela, also famous as the “Mahakumbh of the East.
It takes place every year at the Kamakhya Devi temple. Ambubachi is not only a religious festival. It is also a symbol of the ultimate power of female energy, creation, and renewal.
The Beautiful Story Of Maa Kamakhya
The Kamakhya Devi temple is in the beautiful Nilanchal Hills of Guwahati, Assam, near the Brahmaputra River. The temple is famous for one of the Shakti-Peethas in India. Kamakhya Devi Temple is very different and unique, unlike many other temples in India, where the idols of Hindu gods recive worship.
This Temple worships the goddess in the form of a Yoni (symbol of the female womb). Represented by a natural stone. This symbol represents the energy of the universe- the power of womanhood and fertility.
The temple was built in ancient times. It is said that when Devi (goddess) Sati put herself in the fire, because she was very angry that her father had insulted her husband in front of everyone. After listening to the death of his beloved wife, Lord Shiva became so upset and sad.
He carried Sati’s lifeless body and roamed across the world, and he did not have any feelings left inside him. When other gods saw him in such a state, they got really tense and went to lord Vishnu for help. Lord Vishnu took his weapon (Sudarshan Chakra) and chopped 51 pieces of Sati’s body parts. Wherever her body parts fell, it became a shaktipeetha.
Goddess Sati’s yoni fell at the Nelanchal hill and became a Shaktipeetha as well. Since then, Goddess sati is famous as Kamakhya the symbol of the female energy. It is now one of the most powerful shaktipeetha in the world.
Celebration of Ambubachi Mela
The Ambubachi Mela takes place in June, when the Goddess gets her period for three days. It is famous that the Goddess goes through a natural cycle, and this time is the symbol of fertility and regeneration of the earth.
This period is famous as “Ambubachi or Amot’’ and during these three days, the temple doors close; every ritual and prayer stops, and the priest does not allow the devotees to enter the Temple.
During these days, farming, preparing food, and housework are not done. The idol of the Goddess is covered with a white cloth. On the fourth day, the doors of the temple reopen with a big celebration, where thousands of devotees get the same cloth as the Ambubachi Prashad and it says that the white cloth mysteriously turns red, which represents the symbol of divine energy of the Goddess.
Gathering and Tantric Practices At The Ambubachi
At the Ambubachi Mela, thousands of devotees and aghoris, and tantrics gather at this time, and the chants of “Jai Maa Kamakhya’’ echo across the hills. A pure sense of devotion fills the air at this time.
The tantrics and aghoris believe that the temple is the centre of tantric practices, where they perform secret rituals and meditations, which can be scary and dangerous to watch.
The tantrics believe that the Ambubachi is the most auspicious time to seek blessings and get spiritual powers. Though their practices are very mysterious but they deeply connect and go beyond the limit– purity and impurity, and life and death.
Conclusion
The Ambubachi Mela of Kamakhya Devi is famous for India’s spiritual depth, where mythology, nature, and devotion connect deeply. It is a festival that teaches about the life cycle and the purity of a woman, and the truth that creation comes from a woman.
As the chants echo over Nilachal Hill in June, they carry a timeless message: to honour the mother, because she is the source of all life. This time of the year teaches us the purity of life and death, pure and impure.
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