Guwahati, June 22 : The Ambubachi Mela, symbolises the fertility cult of Maa Kamakhya begun from today and door of the famed Kamakhya Temple atop the Nilachal Hills, one of the 52 Shakti Peets will be closed for four days from June 22 after routine rituals and prayers to Maa Kamakhya.
The Assam state government and administration of Kamrup (Metro) district have been made special arrangements for the devotees, pilgrims who will come from different parts of the country to take part in the Mela.
The administration has set up five camps at Kamakhya railway station, Maligaon old railway station, Pandu, old jail campus, Machkhowa, Naharbari field near Kamakhya temple and Boripara school field in the city for the devotees and pilgrims.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will officially inaugurate the annual Mela at Sonaram field in Guwahati tomorrow.
On the other hand, thousands of devotees, pilgrims, sadhu-sant, mahant from different parts of the country and neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh have come to the temple to take participate in the annual Mela.
On Tuesday, thousands of Naga sadhus, sant, mahant took out a procession in the Kamakhya Temple premises.
Ahead of the commencement of the Mela, security has been beefed up in and around the temple.
The district administration has also installed CCTV cameras to monitor visitors and other activities in the temple.
Over 25 lakh devotees and pilgrims had visited the Kamakhya Temple during the annual Mela last year and the Kamakhya Temple Bardeuri Samaj and district administration hoped that, more devotees and pilgrims will come this time.
Guwahati city police Commissioner Hiren Nath said that, Guwahati city police has made elaborate security arrangement in Kamakhya Temple for the Ambubachi Mela.
“Last year around 25 lakhs devotees from different states and neighbouring
countries came to here and we have made adequate security arrangement for this year also. We have divided 12 sectors in Kamakhya Temple area and devotee camps and Superintendent of Police rank officers and sufficient numbers of police personnel also deployed,” Hiren Nath said.
(By Hemanta Kumar Nath, Guwahati)
