Every year in the month of June, the sacred Nilachal Hills in Guwahati, Assam, come alive with spiritual energy, rituals, and a surge of devotees who gather to celebrate one of the most unique and esoteric festivals in Hinduism — the Ambubachi Mela. Celebrated at the famous Kamakhya Temple, this mela is not just a religious congregation, but a deeply rooted fertility festival tied to earth’s cycles, divine femininity, and the ancient Tantric traditions of eastern India.
While today the mela draws pilgrims, mystics, and tourists from across the country and abroad, it is important to revisit how older generations in Assam celebrated it — with devotion, discipline, and profound cultural values.
Here is the official ritual schedule and timings for Ambubachi Mela 2025 at Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati, Assam:
The Ambubachi Mela 2025 at Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati, will begin with the closure of the temple doors on June 22 at 2:56 PM IST, marking the start of the Goddess Kamakhya’s symbolic menstruation period, also known as Pravritti. During this sacred time, the temple remains closed for three days and three nights—from June 22 to June 25. This period is observed with great devotion and discipline by both pilgrims and temple priests. No worship, farming, or auspicious activities are undertaken during these days, as devotees consider this time to be one of spiritual rest and ritual purity. Tantric sadhus and ascetics engage in deep meditative practices around the Nilachal Hills, while the temple premises remain off-limits to the public.
The temple will reopen in the early hours of June 26, around 3:19 AM IST, following traditional purification rituals and the ceremonial bathing of the Goddess. This event, called Nivritti, is one of the most anticipated moments of the Mela, drawing lakhs of devotees eager for the first darshan after the sanctum’s reopening. Devotees are offered blessed prasad and a piece of red cloth believed to have absorbed the divine energy of the Goddess during her retreat. Regular darshan hours during the mela are from 5:00 AM to 6:00 PM, though access to the inner sanctum is restricted during the closed period.
Devotees planning to attend are advised to arrive early, especially on June 26, due to the large crowds and heightened security measures. The Assam government and local authorities typically arrange for accommodation, sanitation, and medical aid for pilgrims. The Ambubachi Mela is not just a festival but a profound spiritual experience that reflects the cyclical power of creation, rest, and renewal—a celebration of the divine feminine in one of her most mystical forms.
The Mythological Roots
Ambubachi (from ‘ambu’ meaning water and ‘bachi’ meaning speech or fertility) signifies the annual menstruation of the Mother Goddess Kamakhya, considered one of the most powerful Shakti Peethas in India.
According to mythology, it is during this time that Goddess Kamakhya undergoes her yearly menstrual cycle, and the temple remains closed for three days. This sacred event is a metaphor for the fertility of the earth, reinforcing the concept that creation is divine, natural, and cyclic.
Traditional Celebration Among Older Generations in Assam
Before the advent of mass pilgrimages and global attention, Ambubachi Mela was largely a local affair. Here’s how it used to be celebrated traditionally by elder Assamese communities, particularly in rural areas:
1. Observing the Sacred Pause
Just like the temple doors remain closed during the Goddess’s menstruation, homes in older Assamese villages observed a symbolic ‘pause’. Elder women would refrain from cooking or performing daily chores, and no new ventures (planting, sowing, marriages, etc.) were initiated during these three days. This was seen as a time of rest and introspection.
2. Sacred Soil and Holy Water
Elder devotees believed that during Ambubachi, the waters of the Brahmaputra River near the temple took on a reddish hue, symbolizing the menstruation of the Earth Goddess. Pilgrims used to carry this ‘blessed’ soil and water back to their villages in small earthen pots to anoint their fields and homes for fertility, protection, and abundance.
3. Nightly Storytelling and Oral Traditions
Since the days were marked by minimal activity, evenings were devoted to oral storytelling. Elders would gather children around the courtyard and narrate tales of Kamakhya, Shiva, and the Tantric sages who meditated in the hills of Nilachal. These stories were more than myth; they were tools of moral and spiritual education, subtly passed down through generations.
4. Simplicity in Austerity
Fasting was common among elderly devotees, particularly women. They would consume only fruits or water, and chant mantras throughout the day. Tantric sadhanas (spiritual practices) were performed by initiated practitioners in secrecy, often near rivers, groves, or home shrines. Unlike today’s mela with its fairs and shops, the earlier form was quiet, contemplative, and steeped in personal devotion.
5. Reopening with Joy: The Fourth Day
On the fourth day, the temple reopens in what is known as ‘Pravritti’, symbolizing the Goddess’s return from rest. In villages, this day was marked by feasting, kirtans (devotional songs), and communal gatherings. Women wore mekhela sadors of red and white, shared traditional sweets like pitha, and offered prayers for the health and fertility of their families and lands.
Role of Tantric Traditions
Older devotees, especially male sadhakas, would often follow the practices of left-hand Tantra (Vamachara). While the deeper Tantric rituals were kept hidden from public view, the elders always emphasized respecting Shakti in all forms — women, nature, and the body. They believed that menstruation was not impure, but a divine occurrence — a belief far ahead of its time in many respects.
Contrast with Modern Times
Today, Ambubachi Mela is a major pilgrimage and tourist event. With lakhs of visitors thronging Kamakhya Temple in 2025, the spiritual stillness once observed has become more festive and crowded. While this brings awareness and economic benefit, many elders lament the loss of simplicity, silence, and sacredness.
Conclusion: Remembering the Wisdom of the Past
Ambubachi Mela 2025 continues to be a celebration of the primordial power of creation. But as we move forward, it is essential to preserve the ancient values that the elders of Assam held dear — the reverence for menstruation, the spiritual role of rest, the celebration of womanhood, and the sacredness of silence.
In remembering how older generations celebrated Ambubachi, we not only honor a festival — we honor a way of life deeply in tune with nature, the divine feminine, and cultural continuity.
