The Ambubachi Mela is the main festival of the Kamakhya Temple. And Ambubachi Mela 2023 came to an end on the afternoon of Monday, June 26.
The event drew to an end with the opening of the temple doors. The doors were closed on June 23, at the start of the festival. It is important to note that all temples of the region remain closed during this duration. After Ambubachi is over, temples are reopened and rituals are done. Also, religious procedures are restarted after the completion of the festival. Special darshan tickets are however not available till Tuesday.
Ambubachi Mela 2023 saw a comparatively smaller tourist footfall compared to previous editions. Unlike previous years, only two camps were arranged this year for pilgrims. The authorities made arrangements for food and lodging for the devotees in these camps.
The Kamrup Metropolitan District administration and Guwahati Police enforced stricter rules this year. They also ensured that these rules were followed without fail. This was done using a large number of departmental personnel, volunteers and CCTV cameras.
The visiting devotees also expressed happiness over the arrangements this year. The temple authorities also thanked the district administration and police department for ensuring the smooth conduct of the festival.
The ending of the festival also brought a sigh of relief to a large number of residents of Guwahati. In order to control the traffic woes during this season, a large number of vehicular restrictions were in play. Also, the under-construction Maligaon flyover had increased traffic woes.
Ambubachi Mela 2023 was formally inaugurated on June 22 by the Assam Tourism Minister. Jayanta Malla Baruah had earlier mentioned that the event was not advertised this year. This step was taken as the construction of flyovers are going on in the city.
Picture by Abhijit Bose.
