Guwahati, Jun 26: The four-day-long Ambubachi Mela, one of the country's largest annual Hindu religious congregations, concluded on Friday with the reopening of the sanctum sanctorum of the revered Kamakhya Temple atop the Nilachal Hills in Guwahati, drawing an overwhelming rush of devotees seeking the blessings of Goddess Kamakhya. 

The temple doors, which had remained closed since June 22 following the commencement of the annual Ambubachi observance, were reopened after the completion of the prescribed rituals marking the end of the Goddess's annual menstrual cycle, known as Ambubachi Nivritti.

Soon after the reopening, thousands of pilgrims, who had been waiting for days, queued up to offer prayers and receive the sacred 'Angabastra' and 'Angodak', considered highly auspicious among devotees.

The Kamakhya Temple witnessed an unprecedented influx of devotees, sadhus, tantriks and tourists from different parts of India and abroad during the four-day religious congregation.

Authorities had made elaborate arrangements, including security deployment, medical facilities, sanitation measures, drinking water supply and traffic management, to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival.

The Ambubachi Mela, often described as the "Mahakumbh of the East", is one of the most significant festivals associated with Shakti worship. It is based on the belief that Goddess Kamakhya, regarded as the embodiment of feminine power and fertility, undergoes her annual menstruation during this period.

The temple remains closed for three days as no worship is performed, symbolising the Goddess's period of seclusion. The festival holds immense importance in Tantric traditions and attracts ascetics, spiritual seekers and devotees from across the world.
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Following the completion of the observance, the reopening of the temple marks the restoration of regular worship and is considered especially auspicious for devotees seeking divine blessings.

Officials said lakhs of devotees visited the Nilachal Hills during this year's Ambubachi Mela, which began on June 22, making it one of the largest religious gatherings in the Northeast.

The successful conclusion of the festival once again highlighted the cultural and spiritual significance of the centuries-old Kamakhya Temple, a revered Shakti Peetha and one of India's foremost centres of Tantric worship.

--IANS