Monday 21 April 2014

Ambubashi Festival

Ambubashi Festival

AMBUBASHI FESTIVAL AT KAMAKHYA MANDIR ASSAMAmbubachi Mela or Ambubasi festival is held annually during monsoon in the Kamakhya Devi Temple at Guwahati, Assam. The Ambubachi festival also known as Kamkhya Devi Puja is closely related to the Tantric cult. Ambubachi Mela is also known as Ameti or Tantric fertility festival and is a four-day fair.
Goddess Kamakhya, as believed by the people goes through her menstrual cycle and thus the temple remains closed for three days. Devotees are not allowed to worship the deity during this period. There is no idol of the Devi and is worshipped in the form of a stone over which a natural spring flows.

Tantric Babas, who come from various places, can be seen during these four days and rest of the year, they remain in seclusion. Some Babas display their psychic powers like putting their heads in a pit and standing upright on it, standing on one leg for hours etc. The temple remains closed for three consecutive days. Devotees observe some sort of restriction during these days. The devotees neither cook nor perform Puja. They also do not   read holy books neither do any kind of farming. After the three days are over, the devi Kamakhya is bathed and other rituals are performed. These rituals are done to ensure that the devi retrieves her purity. The doors of the temple are reopened after the Puja and Prasad is distributed to the devotees. All the devotees are then allowed to enter the temple and worship devi Kamakhya.

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