From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: Assam government as well the local Kamrup district administration have made elaborate arrangement this time to make annual Ambubachi festival in the historic Kamakhya Temple here a smooth and clean affair for the lakhs of devotees that are expected to visit the shrine during the period beginning Saturday.
Already thousands of devotees from outside the state and far flung areas within the region have arrived in the city to visit in the historic ‘shakti’ shrine atop Nilachal Hills for the annual religious festival held which is organised around this time of the year.
As per the mythology Ambubachi is the period when the presiding deity Goddess Kamakhya is believed to be having menstrual period during these three days. An atmosphere of a carnival descends in the area surrounding Kamakhya Temple in presence of such a huge gathering of pilgrims.
Assam government in collaboration with the local district administration in Kamrup has assigned around 3000 personnel including ten magistrates, 724 volunteers, 75 doctors, 48 nurses for holding of the fair. Devotees would be facilitated with free heath check up during the festival.
In order to maintain security and safety of the lakhs of pilgrims coming to the fair a large number of armed police and paramilitary force personnel have been deployed in and around the temple premises.
A police control room has been set up in the temple compound for the festival and number close circuit cameras have been installed in various vantage locations to keep tab on all sorts of activities during the festival.
Additional chief secretary in charge of tourism department in Assam, Himangshu Sekhar Das informed utmost care would be taken to keep the surrounding of Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hills clean and hygienic and for that purpose 780 proper toilets have been put in place in various parts of the area besides arranging for adequate supply of drinking water by connecting hundreds of temporary drinking water tapes.
The district administration as well as Assam Tourism Development Corporation have (ATDC) arranged for bus services from various parts in the city heart including railway stations and ISBT to ferry devotees to Kamakhya Temple.
A special city bus service has been introduced connecting nearby Kamakhya Railway station to Kamakhya Temple.
On the occasion of Ambubachi the main door to the temple will be closed for devotees from 12-15 P.M. on June 22 till 5.30 A.M. on June 26 for ‘darshan’ of Ma Kamakhya, the presiding deity. The district administration as well as the temple management committee expect over three lakh pilgrims to come to Kamakhya Temple for Ambubachi festival this year.