GUWAHATI, June 23 � Around four lakh devotees visited the Kamakhya temple on the first day of the Ambubachi mela, which started around last midnight to perform the �parikrama� round the Shakti seat.
According to publicity secretary of the Ambubachi Mahotshav Parichalana Samiti, Anup Prasad Sarma, the rush of the local people to the temple started at 8 pm yesterday and it has been continuing till this evening.
Meanwhile, devotees from various parts of the country and from abroad have arrived at the Nilachal hillock to take part in the celebration. They include hundreds of devotees from West Bengal and other parts of the country, three Australians, around 100 from Nepal, around 15 from Bhutan, four from Germany, two each from USA and France and one from Italy.
A Discovery Channel team, comprising two Indians and six from abroad, has also arrived at the Hillock to cover the festival.
The devotees from various parts of the country and abroad are performing the �parikrama� singing religious songs and are thus creating a festive atmosphere on the hillock.
Folk artiste teams comprising Bauls and Shyamasangeet artistes from West Bengal are also adding to the festive environment.
However, power failure in the camps, set up for sheltering the devotees near the Kamakhya Higher Secondary school and along the road leading to the Lalita Kanta temple, has created problems for the devotees as well as the local people. Moreover the road leading to the Lalita Kanta temple is also filled with filthy materials leading to the misery of the people.
The Guwahati Municipal Corporation has not taken much care to keep the road clean, alleged the local residents.
