Festival of Womanhood: Ambubachi Mela Celebrates the Divine Feminine at Kamakhya Temple

The Ambubachi Mela in Guwahati, Assam, honors the divine feminine with a four-day fair from June 22 to June 26, attracting devotees and occultists alike.

Ambubachi Mela in Guwahati, Assam, celebrates the divine feminine from June 22-26, reflecting the belief in Mother Earth’s menstrual cycle and the spiritual significance of Kamakhya Temple.

The time of the year has arrived. The temples dedicated to every Goddesses would stay closed from 22nd June till 26th June.

This time is known as Ambubachi. The famous Kamakhya temple situated in Guwahati, Assam hosts a yearly four days large fair during this time of the year. The fair is called Ambubachi Mela. People from near and far come to worship at the temple.

It is believed during the ambubachi, Mother Earth goes through her menstrual cycle. This seems amusing to think of gods through the spectrum of human bodies. The other side of the belief might be for the acceptance of this female body phenomenon with grace.

It is said when Lord Vishnu cut off Goddess Sati’s body with his disc to relieve Lord Shiva from the attachment with the goddess’s body. Her genitals and womb fell in Kamakhya where the temple now stands.

Kamakhya temple is regarded as a powerful place where none’s worship and prayers go unanswered. During the festival, men aren’t allowed to enter the temple premises. Occultists gather with the ambitions to gain sacred and outworldly powers. The women collect and sing holy hymns in the temple premises, sitting outside the closed doors.

Before Ambubachi timings begin a white cloth is placed over the seemingly body parts of the goddess and the temple doors are closed after worshiping rituals.

The Brahmaputra river that flows by the temple becomes red during this time of the year. Though there exists no scientific proof to prove these happenings. Except the cloth turning colours behind the closed temple doors.

These are as said by people with higher regards for cognizance, pure myths running down the stairs of time. After the ambubachi ends the temple is washed and purified.

The goddess is adorned and then The white cloth turned red is distributed among the devotees. It is called ambubachi cloth.

They are preserved by the people for they are believed to bring good fortune and health.

Those who have had a chance to spend time near the farming areas must be knowing during ambubachi the tilling of land is halted.

It is believed this will injure mother earth. Even small children are advised to walk carefully to schools and not kick stones and pebbles.

The work of digging and sowing saplings and seeds is strictly prohibited. In spite of the fact that the monsoons are in full surge during this time of the subcontinent.

It might be just a belief or maybe some unseen force keeps working through the cosmos.

Every year the time returns and gives our mother earth a few days of respite from the heavy workload.

So why not celebrate a few days in honour of the mother who never asks anything from us for bearing our weight including our endless ambitions.