25 June : More than seven lakh devotees from the country and abroad have converged in the picturesque Neelachal hills in Guwahati for the region's biggest religious festival, the Ambubachi Mela.Devotees thronged the Maa Kamakhya temple, the centre of Shakti cult, as the doors of the temple remain closed for four days every year to mark the menstruation period of Goddess Kamakhya.
Built atop the Neelachal Hills which overlooks Guwahati city, the temple resembles an ocean of humanity as lakhs of devotees had spent four days in the vicinity of the temple with the Kamrup (metro) district administration implementing a massive plan on war footing to provide succour to the sadhus and devotees.
Nabakanta Sarma, secretary of the Kamakhya trust, said the number of pilgrims this year was the highest and the temple authorities alongwith the district administration and police toiling round-the-clock to ensure that the festival was a success.
The four-day festival started from 11.34 am on Monday when the doors of the temple were closed to be reopened after four days at 11.58 pm on Thursday. Although a strict security blanket has been thrown over the entire Neelachal hills, Sarma is worried about cleanliness.
"From Wednesday the number of sadhus and other devotees had come down as some of them have left for Puri to attend the Rath Yatra festival", Sarma said.The site of the temple and its premises present a colourful sight with devotees dressed in saffron, some of them sporting long beard to the size 12 feet, crowding the area.
There are also a group of sadhus who claim to have healing powers. "Miracles and mystical powers exist and my blessings heal patients with chronic ailments", claims Giri Babu as he puffs hookah with his forehead smeared with vermilion.
For years the mela is also known to be an occasion to exhibit psychic powers by the sadhus which ranges from standing on one leg for hours to another burying his head in a pit standing upside down.
There are several sadhus who have travelled by train from far across the country to throng the mela."I have travelled all the way from Rameswaram to be a part of the mela", says Sunil Babuji.While Bholagiri Baba has made it all the way from West Bengal's Burdwan town, Jagannath Baba has come from Puri.
Blessings apart many people approach the sadhus for casting evil spells on their adversaries."Many people come here to catch hold of a seer to harm their enemies. It is possible to cast evil spells on adversaries but then only a few will agree to do so", says Pagala Baba who hails from Varanasi.
For foreigners who came in large numbers, the festival was an exhilirating experience."The number of pilgrims have increased. This is an occasion which we will remember for the rest our life", said Nar Bahadur Thapa who has come from Kathmandu to watch the event.
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By : News Team
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