Skip to content Skip to navigation

Festivity atop Nilachal as Ambubachi event gents underway

Thousands of people are thronging atop the Nilachal hill to attend the grand Ambubachi, the name of an event that begins on Sunday at the historic Kamakhya temple premises.

The temple belonging to the 16th century and the most important of the 51 Hindu `piths' in India, will be remaining closed for three days. Hundreds of sadhus, sants and sanyasins from across the country and abroad are arriving for the tantric 'Ambubasi Mela'.

During the three days no religious rite will be performed in the temple with a beehive-shaped shikhara built by Koch dynasty king Chilarai in 1565, and priests and devotees will wear red clothes and offer garments of the same hue to Goddess Kamakhya.

Religious belief and mythology have it that the 'yoni' of Sati, wife of Lord Shiva, fell at the site of the temple when he was carrying her body in anger after she immolated herself. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple reached after passing two chambers has no image, but a natural underground stream emanating from a fissure in rock that symbolises the 'yoni'. At this time the water turns red due to iron oxidation and resembles mentrual blood.

The Kalika Purana describes Kamakhya as the 'yielder of all desires, the bride of shiva and bestower of salvation'. The fertility cult associated with the festival is of pre-Aryan origin with the people residing on the Nilachal hill worshipping the earth as 'Mother Shakti' who provided them food.
Author info

editor's picture

Please send your comments to editor@assamtimes.org

Add new comment

Random Stories

Koch, tea tribes and Muttocks to boycott talk with Kyndiah

17 Dec 2007 - 2:58am | editor
Three striking communities have rejected Union minister P R Kyndiah's offer for talks on December 18 in New Dehi saying it is only to buy more time to let the panchayat poll hold.After the Koch...

No let-up in BTAD; toll up 60

27 Jul 2012 - 11:49pm | editor
An uneasy calm settled over Kokrajhar and Chirang districts of Assam on Friday a day before prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s healing visit to Kokrajhar. Four more bodies were recovered in...

Golaghat book fair from Dec 1

31 Oct 2012 - 4:45pm | Ritupallab Saikia
The book lovers of Golaghat are in for a treat as the Golaghat Book Fair will be held from December 1st for ten days. The Book Fair is being organised by Vox Populi, a premier NGO of the district in...

Tea estate manager freed

22 Jan 2014 - 10:30am | AT News
Suspected NDFB-S have freed a tea garden manager 9 days after he was kidnapped from his house in Sonitpur district.Identified as Bharat Singh Rathorh, the Pabhoi Tea Estate manager in Tinisuti area...

Other Contents by Author

Wanna do online journalism? You can do if you are confident and workaholic. Need only an online training. We at Assam Times are ready to help you translate your dream in this roaring job. Come January 1, 2018. Register now for online course free of cost and get the advantage. Manned by a team of sharp and dedicated journos of international repute we are coming up from the new years day.  
Yet another witch hunting incident fans no less shock and anger across the on Monday two days after it came to light. The incident took place at a remote helmet in Chirang district bordering Bhutan where thr body of the victim was recovered on Saturday. Identified as Guneswar Basumatary, the local resident of Koila Moila near Dotom was believed to have been killed alleging witch craft.  According to family members,Guneswar went missing on September 16 evening he visited his relative's house at Koila Moila area. Family members lodged an FIR with Amguri PS,case number 45/2017, under section 302/201 IPC. During a search operation, police and family members recovered body in decomposed...
A local magistrate in Nagaon on Friday remanded Mithu Roy to two days police custody after the trader was produced before it in connection with the recent incident where he and his associates thrashed four former ULFA rebels who approached him for fund to feed the flood hit people.  According to allegations, he was the main culprit who hired a few local associates to beat up the youths who were raising fund.  He was arrested on Thursday as he was on the run as police arrested his three associates on Wednesday afternoon.  Meanwhile, a huge gathering in the central Assam town demanded examplary punishment of the accused youths saying that they...
A candle lighting rally was  carried out at Salakati in protest against killing of ABMSU leader Lafikul. The was organized by ABMSU and was participating by ABSU, AKRSU, bengali Federation, Santhali Student's Union and many organizations. The rally was started from Salakati anchalik Abmsu office and concluded at Railway gate. Thousands housands of activists from various student's union and civilians participated and demanded early arrests of main culprits.The ABMSU demanded CBI inquiry into Lafikul murder,arrest main culprits and provide safety and security to the persons of the region. Moinuddin Ali,ABMSU leader said that main culprits should be nabbed  as soon as possible...
United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) said The Nagas Nation has lost a true and uncompromising Nationalist. "In the creation of Western South East Asia geographic identity with an organic soul giving hope to even the smallest nationality of the region opportunity to get just political representation amongst the family of Nations reflects his deep understanding and vision in keeping with his superb statesmanship".  Describing him as a 'Grandee' of the indigenous citizens of the WESEA region, ULFA(I) chairman Dr Abhizeet Asom in his condolence message to media said "as the Chairman of United Liberation Front of Western South East Asia, he brought an affinity amongst the...
Amid an escalating controversy over beef consumption, yet another leader has quit BJP in Meghalaya suggesting a setback for the saffron party in the pre poll political landscape.  North Garo Hills BJP president Bachu Marak pulled out of the party after the national party spokesman Nolin Kohli warned him against a beef party in Tura to celebrate the three years of the NDA government at the Centre. Marak, who pulled many people to BJP in the Congress ruled state rued in his resignation letter to state party president Sjibun Lyngdoh made it plain and simple that he would never go against the sentiment of the  Garo people for whom beef is an inevitable item at any feast. He...
A crucial meeting of BPF and AGP leadership with Amit Shah is clearing the decks for the expansion of Sarbananda Sonowal cabinet slated for April 15. Senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma along with AGP president Atul Bora, his BPF counterpart Hagrama Mohilary is meeting the BJP president in New Delhi on Monday where the entire process would be finalized. Sources told www.Assam Times that Bongaigaon legislator Phani Bhushan Chaudhury is likely to be inducted in the cabinet from AGP. Both AGP and BPF will have one each in the cabinet while BJP will have six new faces in the expanded cabinet. Those who are attending the close door meet include Hagrama Mohilary, Arul Bora, Hemant Biswa...
In a bizarre incident that triggers statewide anger and surprise, the police have arrested a top ranked officer in Dispur on bribery charges on Tuesday before recovering more than Rs 1 crore from his possession.He is none other than Kujendra Doley, the irrigation secretary who alleged to have been collecting lakhs of rupees from the contractors for releasing their bills.Acting on a complaint from a contractor, the sleuths of the vigilance and anti corruption cell caught the secretary red handed and seized an astronomical amount of money from his office locker he allegedly to pay minister Ranjit Dutta.Then Doley was taken to his residence in the city and Rs 10 lakh were seized in cash during...