From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: Estimated six lakh devotees have so far arrived for the annual Ambubachi festival in the historic Kamakhya Temple atop Nilachal Hills in Guwahati , according to an estimate made by the organizers of Kamakhya Temple management committee.
“Estimated about six lakh devotees have arrived so far for annual Ambubachi festival so far this year and we expect more of them till tonight. The devotees are making themselves comfortable notwithstanding the failure of the administration here to ensure sufficient supply of drinking water and uninterrupted power. Scarcity of these two essential services may compel some of the devotees to go back with some forgettable experience,” said N K Sharma , a senior official of the temple management committee.
The temple official said the district administration should have tried much more to live up to the promise made to supply sufficient drinking water and constant power supply given the hot summer weather prevailing here.
When asked how do they manage to count the number of devotees coming for the occasion, a temple official said the rough estimate of the devotees was made by monitoring flow of then through four all the four roots connecting the temple to the main road at the foot hills.
Meanwhile, larger section of the devotees who have gathered for the occasion have engaged themselves in making most out of the revelry that is characteristic of Ambubachi festivity.
Sadhus and tantrics coming for the occasion are found busy showing their varied skills and powers , as they call it, before the devotees of almost all age groups gathered for the occasion.
The temple official said people have come not only from within the country but also from foreign countries like Russia, Italy, US, Australia and New Zealand attracted by the myth associated with the ancient and renowned Shakti Shrine as well as Ambubachi festival.
The local district administration in Kamrup has assigned around 3000 personnel including ten magistrates, 724 volunteers, 75 doctors, 48 nurses to ensure as much comfortable stay as possible for the devotees.
A special police control room has been set up in the premises of Kamakhya Temple for the festival while close circuit cameras have been installed in various vantage locations besides deployment of adequate number of security personnel.
In order to reduce the rush of devotees atop Nilachal Hills, the administration and an NGO have this time accommodated some of them at four other nearby places which are well connected with regular bus services to the temple premises.
The temple’s main door which has remained closed since the afternoon of June 22 for Ambubachi festival will be re-opened on Wednesday early morning for waiting devotees.