Kamakhya
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Kamakhya temple
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
1908
A temple, sacred to Sati, which stands on the beauti- ful Nilachal hill overhanging the Brahmaputra, about 2 miles west of Gauhati, in Kamrup District, Eastern Bengal and Assam, in 26 1o' N. and 91 degree 45' E. According to tradition, the temple was originally built by Naraka, a prince who is said to have flourished at the time of the Mahabharata, and to have constructed a stone-paved causeway up the hill, which is still in existence. It was rebuilt by Nar Narayan about a.d. 1565, and on the occasion of its consecration 140 human heads were offered to the goddess, but only a small portion of Nar Narayan's temple now remains. Sati's organs of generation are said to have fallen on the place now covered by the temple, and this fact renders the spot an object of pilgrimage to devout Hindus from every part of India. Six other temples stand on the hill, and from the summit a magnificent view is obtained over the river and the surrounding country. A grant of revenue-free land, nearly 8,000 acres in extent, made to the goddess by the native rulers of Assam, has been confirmed by the British Government. The most important festivals are the Pous Bia, about Christmas time, when Kamakhya is married to Kameswar, and the Basanti and Durga pujas, which are celebrated, the former in the spring, the latter in the autumn.
Ambubachi Mela
As of 2025
June 23, 2025: The Indian Express
Why is the Ambubachi Mela held?
The festival is held during the monsoon, generally in June at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, a shrine to the Goddess Kamakhya and one of the most important centres of Tantrik Shaktism. The period of Ambubachi is believed to be the period of the goddess’s annual menstruation, and the shrine is closed for this. At the end of the period, the shrine’s doors are opened ceremonially and devotees flock for darshan of the deity. This year, the shrine will remain closed from June 22 to 25, and will re-open on June 26.
The festival is associated with fertility, with the onset of monsoon, and the common historical association across cultures of the Earth as a fertile woman. The name ‘Ambubachi’ itself translates to water flowing.
Highlighting this association with fertility, sociologist Sangeeta Das in her paper ‘Ambubachi Mela in Assam’s Kamakhya Temple: A Critical Analysis’, has written: “What is worshipped at Kamakhya during Ambubachi Mela is not an image of the Goddess but rather a process: a formal process of menstruation. It is believed that during monsoon rain the creative and nurturing power of the ‘menses’ of mother Earth becomes accessible to devotees at this site during Ambubachi. During this period, there is an entire cessation of all ploughing, sowing and other agricultural activities. Fragments of cloth stained with the blood-mark of the Goddess are distributed to the devotees and pilgrims preserve these in their houses as protective amulets.”
What are the arrangements made for the rush of devotees to the city?
It is estimated that several lakh devotees visit the temple during this period, with last year’s footfall estimated at around 7 lakh.
The Guwahati Traffic Police has ordered several movement restrictions during this period for safe access to the temple.
Assam Tourism Minister Ranjit Kumar Dass had announced that the state government has allocated Rs 4.55 crore for arrangements, which include setting up two pilgrim campps, toilets and bathing facilities, drinking water, medical camps, and so on.
This year’s festival also comes at a time when the Assam government has announced that promoting tourism centred around the Kamakhya Temple is a priority for it.
