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Kamakhya Ambubachi festival attracts thousands

     Guwahati: Every year, thousands of devotees and holy men from across the country assemble at the Kamakhya temple at Guwahati for the famous Ambubachi festival to hold special prayers to please goddess Kamakhya, the consort of Shiva. At Kamakhya Mandir, during a dark moon phase (Amawasya), occurring once during the equivalent of our solar calendar year, devi's yoni is believed to release menstrual blood. The celebration and honoring during this time is known as Ambubachi. It is believed that prayers offered to the goddess during this time impresses her and it is an auspicious time to attain spiritual salvation. Holy men and widows observe fast and refrain from eating non-vegetarian food during the five-day Ambubachi festival that was held recently. Thousands of holy men and women camp near the temple since day one rendering religious songs and blessing devotees besides seeking blessings for themselves from the Goddess.

   "I have come here to pray to the Goddess and seek her blessings. I am meditating at this place and would also offer something to the Goddess. I hope that her blessings would bring prosperity to the people," said Devi Bharavi, a holy woman sporting long tresses. "I visit this place every year to participate in the Kamakhya temple festival. Here we also seek the blessings of the saints and seers as they too visit this place during the Ambubachi festival. I think this is the best time to come here and seek the blessings," said Subhash Chandra Das, a devotee. The mandir to which pilgrims and devotees come to worship is situated on a beautiful hill overlooking the Brahmaputra river and the green lushness of Assam's tea plantations and jungles. The temple is situated about 300 kilometres above sea level on the banks of river Brahmaputra. Despite her husband, Lord Shiva's disapproval, Sati had gone to attend the universal "yajna" organised by her father Daksha. Shiva was not invited, and was also abused by Daksha. Unable to bear the insult, Sati committed suicide. Upon hearing the news , Shiv arrived on the scene, picked up the body and began a dance of destruction. Vishnu tried to pacify Shiva: the body was cut into 51 parts. The spots on earth where each part fell was identified as 'peetha'. But the place where her uterus fell was not known till the god of love, Kamadeva, searched it out to rid himself of a ceratain curse of Brahma's. Kama regains his body here. The place came to be known as "Kamarup" and the presiding deity as "Kamakhya" or one worshipped by Kama. Legend goes that the dead body of Sati was divided into 51 pieces and that the temple is the "yoni peeth". The idol of goddess Kamakhya inside the temple is represented by a female fertility symbol. Actually, Kamakhya is a famous pilgrimage site located just outside of Guwahati in Assam. Primarily important to Saktas, the site functions as the most important Sakta pitha, or sacred "seat" of the goddess for devotees. Fifty-one sacred pilgrimage sites exist on the Indian sub-continent; the most sacred for Saktas is Kamakhya.
-July 1, 2005