AGARTALA, June 22 (TIWN): Along with the celebration of the Ambubachi ritual at Kamakhya Temple in Assam, the ritual is also observed at Agartala Laxmi Narayan temple on Thursday with pomp and gaiety. The Ambubachi ritual is the most important festival of the Kamakhya Temple of Guwahati. The sacred ritual of Ambubachi came alive with chants of religious hymns, chanting of Mantras and counting of beats as the Ambubachi ritual began on Thursday afternoon at Agartala.

As a part of performing rituals, a large number of devotees  thronged temples across the several part of the Agartala city on the occasion of Ambubachi. Since early morning, the devotees were witnessed busy in offering prayers to the goddess.

The festival was also celebrated with traditional fervor and gaiety in the temple premises as large number of devotees gathered at the temple. Especially the women in the temple were also seen playing the ‘vermillion game’ with each other as a part of the Ambubachi ritual.

During the Ambubachi Mela in Guwahati, the doors of the Kamakhya Temple remain closed for three days. It is believed that the goddess becomes unclean for three days. During this time any kind of farming work is not taken on. Daily worships and other religious performances are also stopped during the Ambubachi Mela of Guwahati in Assam. After the completion of three days, the doors of the Kamakhya Temple are reopened. But the doors of the temple are reopened only after Devi Kamakhya is bathed and the other rituals are executed. It is then believed that the Mother Earth has retrieved her purity. The Ambubachi Mela in Guwahati is celebrated every year during the monsoon season, which happens to fall in around the middle of June.

Goddess kamakhya protects devotees from evil forces such as lust, greed, anger and grants boons, bestows grace and awakens wisdom among the devotees, a devote said. People celebrate this festival with traditional fervor and gaiety as such festivals not only promote communal harmony, compassion and goodwill but also bring joy prosperity and peace.