Guwahati: The Kamakhya Temple, nestled in the Nilachal Hills of Guwahati, Assam, stands as a revered Shaktipeeth dedicated to the mother goddess Kamakhya. The temple is celebrated for hosting the Ambubachi Mela, one of the most significant festivals in Sanatan mythology. The 2024 Ambubachi Mela runs from June 22nd to June 26th. During this period, the Nilachal Hills, representing the body of Shiva, are believed to radiate with special powers of energy and creation. According to the Kalika Purana, the Kamakhya Temple marks the spot where Mother Sati would retreat with Lord Shiva, earning the goddess the name Kamakhya.
The Business Northeast team visited Nilachal Hill for exclusive coverage, focusing on the preparations, regulations, accommodations, funding, and business prospects associated with the festival. Last year, the four-day Ambubachi Mela attracted nearly 2.5 million devotees. Pilgrims from across the nation and beyond flock to this Shaktipeeth, participating in rituals and meditations, while sadhus and saints chant outside the temple, and devotees engage in kirtans and religious songs.
Devotees begin arriving in Guwahati about a week before the mela. The city’s streets, railway stations, airports, hotels, restaurants, and the banks of the Brahmaputra become bustling with visitors. Security forces including the Assam Police, RPF, CRPF, SDRF, and NDRF are deployed to manage the crowds.
This year's mela has seen extensive decorations across the city, with the GMC and various NGOs ensuring proper lighting and cleanliness at the temple, camps, and surrounding areas. Camps at Kamakhya Railway Station and Pandu Port accommodate up to 25,000 devotees, with barricades and strict administrative guidelines in place.
Devotees believe visiting during Ambubachi bestows blessings from the goddess Kamakhya. They maintain silence and engage in meditation to honor the goddess's privacy and solitude. Inside and outside the temple, sadhus and saints, including Aghoris at Bhootnath Temple, perform rituals and offer guidance to devotees.
Free food and drinking water stalls, or bhandaras, serve meals to 5,000 to 6,000 devotees at a time. Key departments like APDCL, DTO, Tourism, DC administration, and police control rooms operate within the camp and along routes to Kamakhya, providing essential services. A new ferry service from Pandu offers an additional route to the temple, with entry restrictions in place after 8 PM at the main entrance and 9 PM at Pandu Port.
Local businesses, including restaurants and shops, eagerly anticipate the influx of visitors, investing in their operations to accommodate the crowds. Hotels and tourist cabs near the temple are fully booked.
Assam’s Tourism Minister, Jayanta Malla Baruah, announced at a press conference that the mela would incur expenses of approximately 5 crore rupees to ensure all necessary facilities are available. Doloi Kavindra Prasad Sharma outlined guidelines and facilities for the devotees, while West Guwahati constituency MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita visited the camp to interact with the visitors.
The Kamakhya Temple holds deep significance for its unique rituals, including animal sacrifices as prescribed by the Kalika Purana. These practices are integral to the beliefs of priests, sadhus, and devotees. Dedicated to the goddess Kamakhya, an incarnation of Sati, the temple is a cornerstone of Assamese identity and one of the fifty-one Shakti Peeths in India, renowned for its tantric worship. The Kalika Purana and Yogini Tantra highlight the ancient origins and enduring significance of this sacred site.
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