Ambubachi Mela

Why in news?

• After a gap of four days, the main door of Maa Kamakhya Temple atop Nilachal Hills in Guwahati opened for devotees on Sunday morning (June 26) as the Ambubachi Mela 2022 concluded.

About Ambubachi Mela:

• It is a four-day fair to mark the annual menstruation of the goddess at Kamakhya temple, Assam
• There is no idol in the temple, the goddess is worshipped in the form of a yoni-like stone over which a natural spring flows
• “Ambubachi” means spoken with water and it also implies that the rains expected during this month make the earth fertile and ready for procreation

About Kamakhya Temple:

• It is located atop the Nilachal Hill, by the banks of the Brahmaputra river
• Kamakhya is one of 51 shakti peethas or holy sites for the followers of the Shakti cult, each representing a body part of the Sati, Lord Shiva’s companion
• In 1565 Koch king Naranarayana rebuilt the temple.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Consider the following pairs

Festivals                   : State

1. Ambubachi Mela    : Assam

2. Yaosang                  : Manipur

3. Chikalkalo               : Goa

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1,2 and 3

Answer