GUWAHATI, June 26 - The doors of the main temple of the Kamakhya shrine were opened this morning with limited presence of priests, for performing post-Ambubachi rituals at the sanctum sanctorum.
As the nibhrity or culmination of the annual Ambubachi period occurred at 8.16 pm on June 25, the temple could not be opened then as the rituals are not performed at night as per tradition.
Though Ambubachi Mela, the annual spectacle and largest religious congregation in Guwahati, was not held this year due to COVID-19, the rituals of Ambubachi were performed with the same devotion with the participants observing all norms of social distancing. The temple doors were closed at 7.53 am on June 22 as the prabrity period started as per Vedic time keeping.
�The temple doors were opened at 5 am today and the rituals were performed right from cleaning the sanctum sanctorum, offering panchagavya, flowers, etc. Puja was offered in the temple followed by offering of bhog. In the evening, aarti was performed after sunset, after which the doors were closed again. From tomorrow, the daily rituals will continue as usual. However, the temple doors won�t be opened for pilgrims,� said Kabindra Sarma, soru doloi of the temple.
The rakta vastra, considered to be the most auspicious devotional offering during Ambubachi, was distributed among the pandas (priests) residing in the vicinity of the temple.
Meanwhile, even though the Kamakhya Devalaya management committee had decided to open the temple gates for common people after June 30, the decision has been withdrawn owing to the announcement of complete lockdown in Guwahati. �Only after the lockdown is over and normalcy returns, that we will now take a decision on opening the gates for devotees, after due consultation with the district authorities,� added Sarma.
