Ambubachi Mela, Ameti Fertility Fair
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Abhay Santhosh 64 5
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Abhay Santhosh 64 5
Kamakhya Temple, Kamakhya, Guwahati, Kamrup Metropolitan, Assam, India
Free entry. Registration not required.
Schedule and Timing:
The Ambubachi Fair is held in the Assamese month of Ahaar which falls in mid-June. The festival lasts four days, in which for the first three days, the temple remain closed.
Description:The Ambubachi Mela also called the Ameti Fertility mela is a celebration of the menstrual cycle of the Hindu Goddess Kamakhya. The Kamakhya Temple, as well as the other temples in the nearby region, remains closed for three days marking the annual menstrual period of the deity.
Though the religious activities are not present during these days, the fair is held on these days.
After the purity retrieval rituals, the temple reopens on the fourth day and the Prasad is distributed.
The temple does not have a traditional sanctum santorum, instead, an image of the Yoni is engraved on a rock over which a natural spring flows. The water from the spring is believed to have healing powers.
The Kamakhya temple is situated at Kamagiri which is about 8 km from Guwahati. The Ambubachi Mela attracts hundreds of thousands of devotees. The Kamakhya Devi is also worshipped by the Sakthi cult tantrics. The deity is also considered the centre point of creations and a Goddess of Fertility.
The legend of the Kamakhya Temple
Lord Siva furious at the self-immolation of Sati his first consort, started Thandava that could destroy the whole world. Lord Vishnu pacified Shiva. The grief-stricken Shiva wandered carrying the corpse of Sati.
In order to break this attachment, Lord Vishnu used his Sudarsana Chakra to tear the body into 51 pieces that fell on the 51 places Shiva travelled. Each of these places came to be called Shakti Sthal.
It is believed that the Yoni part of the body of the Satidevi, fell at this place and was consecrated at the Kamakhya temple.
Event id: 483356907
Published on January 28th, 2019, 1:00 pm
Ver.2 Dated February 21st, 2019, 1:55 pm
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