Guwahati: The atmosphere and the scale of the crowd at the Kamakhya temple during the Ambubachi Mahayog have changed significantly since around 2000, driven by improved transport, better law and order, and wider dissemination of information through social media.
The biggest religious congregation of the northeast – Ambubachi Mahayog – is just two days away. It will begin on June 22.
Temple authorities said many visitors come seeking miraculous solutions to their problems or desires, which they consider a misconception. They noted that the Ambubachi Mahayog is increasingly being treated like a ‘mela’ (fair) by many visitors.
Talking about the changes, Prabir Sarma, a priest (doloi) at the Shakti Peeth, said, “The Ambubachi Mahayog is celebrated to mark the annual menstruation cycle of the Goddess Kamakhya. Earlier, it was believed that the Goddess should not be disturbed during these three days of menstruation. People in the other parts of the country and abroad, except West Bengal and Bihar, did not know about the Mahayog. On the other hand, law and order in the 90s was also sensitive in the state. So, for all these reasons, the Mahayog used to see smaller crowds in those days. Only sadhus used to come, who used to practice meditation and tantra vidya.”
However, he added, the situation has changed since 2000. “As per government records, a total of 7-8 lakh footfalls were recorded last year. The unofficial figure is higher than the official figure. But the fact is that the temple has witnessed an increase of around 1-1.5 lakh every year on an average,” he said.
Already, hundreds of sadhus have arrived at the temple premises for tantric practices and meditation. The temple doors will be closed at 9:08 PM on June 22 and will be reopened for devotees again on June 26 morning, once the rituals are over.
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