Ambubachi - Mysticism around Menstruation of the Goddess.

The Sanskrit term 'ambuvaci', from which the local Assamese word, 'ambubachi' or 'ambubosi' is derived, literally means 'the issuing forth of water referring to the swelling of the Earth's waters from the onset of monsoon.

Majority take this festival as celebration of Goddess Kamakhya's menstruation but infact it is the menstruation of the entire Mother Earth, but Kamakhya remains the prime focal point of the festivities since it is the seat of Goddess's yoni(genitals).

According to Mythology, Daksh Prajapati intended to perform Yajna, a sacrificial rite to which all the deities except Lord Shiva were invited. Sati expressed her desire to go for the Yajna but when Shiva forbade Her to go, She flew into a great rage and transformed herself into Shyama or Kali. When Mahadev (Shiva) sought to escape Her wrath, She assumed ten different forms, the Dasamahavidya(which is found in the complex of Kamakhya), and surrounded Him. Lord Shiva finally allowed Her to go to Daksha's yajna. However enraged Daksh insulted Shiva to show his displeasure towards his son-in-law. Unable to bear Her father’s nasty remarks for Her husband Shiva, Sati sacrificed herself in the holy pyre of the Yajna. Upon receiving the news of Sati's demise, furious Shiva changed Himself into the fierce Rudra and came to the yajna, destroyed the sacrificial ground, and beheaded Daksha. But following the fervent plea of Daksha's wife, He restored him to life by joining the head of the sacrificial goat upon his body. Driven insane with grief, He placed the dead body of Sati upon His shoulders and roamed the Three Worlds. An alarmed Brahma and other Devas (divine beings) approached Vishnu, the preserver, to restore the balance of the world. So Vishnu sent His Sudarsan Chakra (discus) which cut Sati's body to pieces. Wherever the pieces of her mutilated body fell on Earth in 51 different places also denoting 51 Alphabets in Sanskrit, it came to be regarded as a "Shakti Peetha", with immense sacred relevance. Each became a sacred spot  the divine decree.Her, yoni (reproductive organ of Sati, genitals) fell on the Nilachal Hill where very sacred Kamakhya temple is located. This hill was said to represent the body of Lord Shiva Himself, and when Sati's genitals fell on it, the mountain turned blue and came to be known as the Nilachal or the Blue hill (nila meaning blue; achal meaning mountain)

During the annual Ambubachi Mela(Tantric Fertility Festival), the Temple precincts are closed to the worshippers as it is believed that the Goddess, along with the Earth, goes through Her menstrual cycle. During this festival held in the month of June (the seventh day of Ahaar according to the Hindu lunar calendar), when the sun transit to the zodiac of Mithun during the height of the rainy season, the red haematite present in the soil mixes with the water of the natural spring that moistens the yoni, leading credence to the commonly held belief of a menstruating Goddess. The temple remains shut for four days.After the temple re-opens, the devotees rush into it to gather the unique’ prasad’; parts of the cloth moist with the menstrual fluid of the Devi. This piece is regarded as highly auspicious. Each year marks around 5-6 lakhs pilgrims during annual Ambubachi Mela at the Holy Shrine-Shaktipeeth Kamakhya Temple situated at top of Nilachal Hill (Gateway of North East) about 800 feet above the sea level.

The practice of Tantrik rites is also prevalent on the Nilachal Hill. Tantricism flourished in the area during the reign of the Pala dynasty. To attain heavenly bliss, they indulged in orgies, relating to the practice of animal sacrifice, the eating of matsya and mamsa (fish and meat), drinking of madira(alcohol) etc. In past miraculous escape of a baby girl later named Tara after the Goddess who was about to be sacrifice by mentally ailing father claiming as Tantrik  for blind superstitious belief that he will be immortal.
There is no image of Shakti here in Kamakhya. However a sculptured image of the yoni of the Goddess, which is the object of reverence. A natural spring keeps the stone moist.

Farmers stop tilling land during this time, as it is believed that it amounts to disturbing menstruating Mother Earth. Even in homes, people do not worship their family deties and cover it with a cloth.

This year beginning date of Ambubachi Mela is 22nd  to 25th June.The temple authorities have installed 600 temporary toilets and 1,000 taps apart from the permanent ones.Over 2,000 volunteers, in addition to police and home guards personnel, have been engaged to ensure cleanliness, while Guwahati police have set up additional CCTV cameras. Also a team of about 100 doctors and paramedical staff, apart from hospitals of the government and the railways, have been also pooled in to meet any exigency.Over two lakh people will be provided free meals twice at the temple complex. Overall footfall of around 25 lakhs is expected this year.

Many argue that even the mighty river Brahmaputra turns red during Ambubachi and there is instances of Black magic prevelant around the hilltop of Maa Kamakhya but however the intellectuals and authorities have rubbished such rumours and they added there is a firm belief that during this specific time frame of Ambubachi even 33 crore Gods & Goddesses as per Hindusim descend on Earth on the premises of Kamakhya and hence lot of pilgrims visit the Holy Shrine during Ambubachi.

With campaigns like 'Happy to Bleed' and so much awareness on menstrual cycle of women these days during recent times, the question that still remains unanswer is why girls and women not allowed to enter sacred places during their menstrual cycle or rather considered impure? However ,Faith & Divinity is to each their own. 

Travelogue ~ Majuli , a unknown paradise - Two days of bliss in lap of nature.

“Land of the river and whispering wind Sweet rice and plenty of fish, Where the sun rises to the sound of hundred birds And the evenings resonate to the music of cymbals and kirtans."—Sanjay Ghose

‘Travel is one of the investments which makes one richer’. During spring (Bohag) as we were scrolling through various travel itinerary and last minute cancellation of the trip to North India belt, suddenly one of my friend suggested let’s explore – Majuli before the paradise ceases to exist. During that time already Pancham aka Nilotpal Bora’s mesmerizing video on Majuli was doing rounds that captivated everyone as well. So we decided to pack our bags to experience one of the largest river island in the world, Majuli, also the cultural capital of Assam. Majuli originally comprised of an area of 1250 sq.km but today due to erosion and other climatic changes the island is merely left with an area of 421 sq.km. If proper measures will not be taken to save the island, it could be disappear within the next half century which is so alarming for the native inhabitants as well as us
Jorhat is the nearest town to Majuli which is well connected by road, rail and air. To reach Jorhat there are daily buses or trains available to and from Guwahati at regular intervals. I guess this trip was meant to be that is the reason while booking there was exactly 3 seats available in Inter City express. To reach Majuli one has to board a ferry from Nimati Ghat in Jorhat. Shared rickshaws are easily available outside the Jorhat bus stand as well as railway station that ply to Neamati Ghat frequently through the day.

The ferry services to reach Majuli are available daily from 7 am to 4 pm from Nimati Ghat. While returning from Majuli to Jorhat town one can board a ferry from Kamalabari Ghat which also ply between 7 am to 4 pm. The boat ride takes little over an hour and is a pleasant ride over the mighty Brahmaputra River.

The population in Majuli is around 1.4 lakhs and comprises mostly of three tribes – the Missing tribe, Deori tribe and the Sunuwal-Kosari tribe. The most commonly spoken language in Majuli is Assamese and the different tribal languages which are named after the tribes itself are also spoken. The locals are also well versed in communicating in English and Hindi.
From Nimati Ghat we left for the guest house at Kamalibari Satra since tourist lodge was not available during Bihu time but in a way blessing in disguise as we got the golden opportunity to experience peaceful Satra life. The hospitality of the satra people especially the Satra dangoriya cannot be described in mere words. We were indeed grateful to them for preparing mouthwatering dishes especially Bohag Bihu Jalpan for us. It was very heart touching to see though financially not very stable yet people had such huge heart and came across many orphans who grew up at the Satra and leading better lives and being self-reliant.

Majuli is also the abode of the Assamese neo-Vaisnavite culture. The population on the Island comprises of only the Hindu community and they are mainly Vaishnavites who are followers of Lord Vishnu. It is a belief amongst the locals that Lord Krishna resided in Majuli for a major part of his childhood and hence the worship of Krishna is considered most holy on the island. The main attractions in Majuli are the tribal villages and the satras (monasteries) which are dedicated to Lord Krishna and signify different forms of the God. About 25—26 Satras are remaining now in Majuli out of which Dakhinpat satra, Uttar Kamalabari, Garmur and Auniati satra are few of the famous satras in Majuli. Auniati Satra, one of the oldest and most famous Satras in Majuli. Ahom king Joyddhaja Singha built it in 1653. The Satra has its own museum which conserves artifacts from Ahom period and a library that displays ancient manuscripts.These satras are propagating the religious ideology of great Assamese medieval Vaisnavite Saint Sankardeva & Madhavdeva, preaching Sattriya culture.
The most convenient way of getting around the island of Majuli is by renting a car for the day since all the attractions can be easily covered in a day. If time is not a constrain then cycling around is the best way to explore this river island and get a real local feel of the place.
These satras are taken care of by different sects, tribes and sub tribes and have a head priest or scholar to carry out the daily rituals. It is a common practice for everyone entering the monastery to leave their footwear outside the satra complex and burn a diya (oil lamp) while inside the monastery. These satras are culturally very rich and one can also witness local monks dancing and depicting various mythological stories during festivals. We witnessed the much gifted art of mask making at Samaguri satra. On our way we also witnessed few endangered bird species. The island supports a variety of birds, fishes, reptiles, amphibians and many species of aquatic animals and plants. More than 250 species of birds have been recorded in the island. In winter, many species of migrant birds visit Majuli and its surrounding areas. If you are lucky enough one may spot river dolphin as well.
Later we visited the Missing village. The inhabitants lead a very simple life and are always happy to help and welcome travelers to their villages. It is a common practice in the Missing villages to invite tourists to their homes and offer them a bowl of freshly prepared rice beer ‘Apung’ and we witnessed how they prepare the same. An interesting fact about Majuli is the way the houses are built here. The houses are made of bamboos and placed on concrete pillars at a height of about two feet from the floor. The architecture of the houses is such due to the heavy rainfall in this area. Post monsoon, locals get together and build houses manually with fresh bamboo canes. We had the Missing authentic food and were also delighted to pick few hand weave Missing attire for our folks back home.
We experienced ‘Goru Bihu’ in a very joyful manner watching the cows being pampered with a bath with haldi and enjoyed our boat trip to farthest point too. On one of our ride back we met a gentleman who makes bicycles from bamboos. We were glad to see such creativity and talent but sad part is the lack of financial assistance they received from the government. When we had tough time getting adequate cash from a single Atm we wondered what would have been the scenario among the natives during Modi’s demonetization.
The main occupation of the population in Majuli is agriculture where crops like rice, potato and cabbage are grown. The Rakh festival is celebrated with great pomp and grandeur here and the best time to visit Majuli is during the months of November to February.
Thus two blissful days of exploring this heavenly paradise was a great experience for three of us. With deepest gratitude for favourable weather we left for Sibsagar to visit majestic Shivadol on first day of auspicious Bohag i.e our new year festive joys.

My newspaper articles