By Bhupen Goswami

Guwahati :Ambubachi mela is one of the important festivals of Kamakhya temple. It is celebrated for three days during the monsoon. And this festival starts on the seventh day of Asad as it is believed that during this period Mata Kamakhya goes to menstruation. The temple remains closed for three days and it opens with a big celebration on the fourth day. In first three days mata will remain in seclusion and on the fourth day it will be finished with a big ceremony. Ambubachi Mela is the festival of tantriks This Mela is also famous as Ameti or tantrik fertility festival and it is observed for getting siddhi, tantraSakti and tantra knowledge. Mata kamakhya is the goddess of tantras and trantriks visit to this place to fulfill their wishes and to get siddhi in tantra knowledge. People of India and Abroad come to participate in this popular tantra mela People of India and abroad participate in this mela to get the blessing of Mata Kamakhya. Some unique tantra rituals are performed in these four days and these are the main attractions of this mela.Prasad of this festival is considered very powerful The temple remains closed for three days as Mata Kamakhya goes through her menstrual cycle and it reopens with a grand ceremony. People from all over India and abroad wait outside of the temple on the fourth day for the reopening to get the precious prasad that is a small piece of cloth and it is believed to be moist with the menstrual discharge of Mata Kamakhya. This prasad is very auspicious and used for multiple purposes.Assam finally gears up to celebrate the Ambubachi Mela at the Kamakhya Temple from 9:27 am on June 22. As per the rituals, this year’s festival will start on June 22 and it will end on June 26. As per Kamrup (M) District Administration, around 400 CCTV cameras were installed in each and every nooks and corner of the Devalaya to provide protection to the pilgrims, priests and visitors coming from around the whole world. Sources from Devalaya also informed that around 500 volunteers would be recruited for the entire programme starting from next Friday and all the necessary preparations are done. For this year Ambubachi Mela has been renamed with Ambubachi Mahajug-2018. Further, there will be around 5000 plus Naga Babas joining in the Ambubachi Mela this year.