Why in News:
- Three Temporary Camps Set Up for Devotees and Tourists Visiting Kamakhya Temple
- Recently, three temporary camps with adequate security arrangements were established to accommodate devotees and tourists coming to the Kamakhya temple for the Ambubachi Mela.
Ambubachi Mela:
- The Ambubachi Mela is an annual Hindu fair that takes place at the historic Kamakhya Temple. • It is celebrated during the monsoon season, which falls around the middle of June in the Assamese month of Ahaar.
- The festival is dedicated to the yearly menstruation course of goddess Maa Kamakhya and is also known as Ameti or Tantric fertility festival due to its association with the Tantric Shakti cult prevalent in the eastern parts of India.
Kamakhya Temple:
- The Kamakhya Temple is located on Nilachal Hill, adjacent to the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River in Guwahati.
- It is considered one of the most revered centers of Tantric practices.
- Among the 51 Shakti Peethas in India, it is regarded as one of the oldest.
Architecture:
- The temple’s architecture is a unique blend of two different styles: the traditional nagara or North Indian style and the Saracenic or Mughal style.
- This distinctive combination is referred to as the Nilachala Style of Architecture.
- The Kamakhya Temple is the only temple in Assam with a fully developed ground plan.
- It comprises five chambers: garbhagriha or sanctuary, antarala or vestibule, Jagan Mohan or principal chamber, bhogmandir or ritual chamber, and natmandir or opera hall, where traditional dance and music associated with sukti temples are performed.
- Interestingly, each of these chambers has different architectural features, with variations in superstructure design.
- The main temple features a modified Saracenic dome, the antarala has a two-roofed design, the bhogmandir (also known as pancharatna) has five domes similar to the main temple, and the natmandir has a shell-roof with an apsidal end, similar to some of the impermanent namghars or prayer halls found in Assam.
