Assamese observe Ambubachi 'fertility' Fair in Guwahati

Amid the clash of cymbals and blowing of conch shells, saffron-robed Hindu holy men performed mystic rituals to celebrate the annual Ambubachi fertility festival at the revered shrine of Goddess Kamakhya here.

The four-day festival is held with the grand arrival of monsoon in Assam.

As per Hindu mythology, Kamakhya is one of the most mystical religious sites in India.

The festival is based on the belief that during this period the goddess goes through her annual menstrual cycle - symbolising fertility.

The temple has no image of the goddess but a natural underground stream which emanates from a fissure in a rock that symbolises Lord Shiva's wife Sati. During the time of the festival the water turns red due to iron oxidation resembling menstrual fluids.

The main gate of the temple remains closed for the visitors for three days and devotees wait outside the temple till the fourth day, when the temple is opened.

The festival is also a major draw for the practitioners of occult with a large number of pot smoking ascetics descending on the shrine, lending a mystic aura to the whole atmosphere.

On Thursday, holy men and priests danced to religious hymns as they camped outside the temple, waiting for the doors to open on the last day of the festival.

Devotees from across the country made a mad rush and waited in long queues to get blessings from the goddess.

A priest, Kalyan Das, said he hoped for peace and tranquility to prevail in the country.

"I have come here to pray for the well-being of the people of the entire country, they should all prosper. My only wish is that everywhere there should be peace and everyone should be happy," Das said.

A regular visitor to the temple, Urmika Sarthaki, said she attends the festival every year to seek the blessings of Mother Earth.

"I have been visiting this fair for the past 23 to 24 years. I come to seek blessings of the goddess, to attain happiness and to pray for everyone," said Sarthaki.

The Ambubachi Fair is one of the biggest religious festivals of Hindus in India's northeast.

As this festival is primarily an agrarian festival and Goddess Kamakhya represents Mother Earth, all agricultural activities are suspended during the fair.