Guwahati, June 26: The annual Ambubachi Mela at the Kamakhya Temple concluded on Friday with the reopening of the shrine’s doors, marking the end of one of Assam’s largest religious gatherings as thousands of devotees assembled from early morning to offer prayers.
The temple had remained closed since Monday evening in observance of the traditional ritual period, during which Goddess Kamakhya is believed to undergo her annual menstrual cycle. The shrine was reopened on Friday morning following the customary ritual bath and worship of the deity, after which devotees were allowed to enter for darshan.
Temple authorities said devotees began lining up before dawn and that arrangements were made to ensure smooth flow of pilgrims. “The temple doors will remain open till sunset today. We hope that the devotees can have a peaceful darshan,” a temple official said.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that more than eight lakh devotees participated in this year’s Ambubachi Mela, highlighting the scale of the annual pilgrimage that attracts visitors from across India and abroad.
“The underlying phenomenon behind the Ambubachi at Maa Kamakhya has no parallel anywhere. It is emblematic of the centrality of Nari Shakti in Assam’s civilisational heritage,” Sarma said in a post on X.
The Ambubachi Mela is regarded as one of the most significant religious congregations in the Northeast, drawing pilgrims, ascetics and tourists every year. Official figures showed that 7,72,019 people, including 42 foreign nationals, attended the festival in 2025, while 7,46,066 visitors, including 20 foreign devotees, participated in 2024.
