300,000 Congregate at Kamakhya for Goddess' Menstruation

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Guwahati, ASSAM (June 24, 2006): Thousands of Hindus have congregated

at the ancient Kamakhya temple in Assam and are patiently waiting for

its doors to open after a four-day period during which the deity is

said to be "untouchable."

 

Nearly 300,000 devotees and sadhus have come to the temple dedicated

to Goddess Devi, perched atop the Nilachal hills here, for the annual

five-day Ambubachi Mela (Fair). The fair has witnessed the convergence

of mystics, sadhus, yogis and devout Hindus who are camping near the

temple in tarpaulin tents and camps for the auspicious occasion.

 

According to legend, the Goddess, who symbolises Shakti (Power), has

her periods every year on the seventh day of the Assamese month of

Aahar, which coincided with June 22 this year. The doors of the temple

remain closed during the period. It is only on the fifth day that the

doors are opened.

 

So Monday morning will see a rush of devotees for a glimpse of the

goddess. People of the city are also flocking to the shrine to visit

the sadhus who also act as faith healers. While some sadhus are

experts in occult rituals, others render soulful songs on life. Some

sport long locks and nails while others play the bugle to appease the

goddess.

 

The police and civil administration have drawn up an elaborate

blueprint to ensure that the festivities go off peacefully as the

crowds swell.

 

Said Naba Sarma, secretary of the Kamakhya Debuttar Board: "This year

has seen more devotees than last year. We have made elaborate

arrangements for accommodation of the sadhus and other followers.

 

"We are also taking extra care to keep the premises of the temple

clean. For this purpose, more than 200 makeshift public toilets have

been constructed," he said.

 

Arrangements have also been made for special buses and taxis to ferry

pilgrims to the shrine. A senior police official told IANS that

security has been beefed up for the fair.

 

"We have taken all steps to counter any untoward incidents, including

rebel attacks," the official said.

 

During the period of Ambubachi or Amati, as it is popularly known in

Assam, people neither till their cultivable land nor plant any seeds.

Household items are considered to be impure and they are cleaned up on

the 10th day of the month of Aahar, when the period of Amati ends.

People take a purifying bath, observe a fast during the day and eat

cooked food in the evening.

 

After the goddess is bathed on the fifth day, the temple doors are

opened and the devotees enter to pay obeisance. The garments worn by

the goddess during the four-day period are distributed among the

devotees who wear them like amulets as a symbol of her blessing.

 

The fair is believed to have its origin in the Shakti cult of

Hinduism. The Kamakhya temple is considered to be the greatest shrine

of mystic Shaktism, one of the main religions of Assam during the

medieval period.

 

Ambubachi means springing of water. The idea of earth's periods during

Ambubachi is synchronised with agricultural cycles. The advent of

monsoon rains transforms the earth into fertile territory. Mother

earth like a fertile woman is ready for the cultivation of various

crops. She, therefore, is considered to menstruate.

 

SOURCE: India e-News (IANS)

URL:

http://indiaenews.com/2006-06/12487-thousands-congregate-ancient-assam-temple.htm