Guwahati: Sadhus and aghoris camping on Nilachal hill for the Ambubachi Mela will begin leaving the premises after Friday’s darshan.The Kamakhya temple’s sanctum doors, closed at 9.08pm on June 22, will reopen at 9.33am on Friday. Devotees will be allowed darshan after the daily rituals and the Goddess Kamakhya’s holy bath.On Thursday, the final day before reopening, devotees queued up for kilometres for hours to seek blessings. Ambubachi Mahayog marks the annual menstrual cycle of the Goddess, and devotees believe the temple premises retains special energy during the period.Temple authorities said the final count will take time, but total footfall is estimated at 8–9 lakh. “Last year, about 7.5 lakh footfalls were recorded. Every year, it is increasing by around 1-1.5 lakh,” said Prabid Sarma, a doloi (priest) of the temple.Sarma said the temple authority and district administration coordinated arrangements. “Volunteers, scouts & guides and police personnel are guiding devotees visiting the temple. Around 500 CCTVs were installed in and around the temple premises to keep an eye on the movement of the devotees,” he added.About 1,500 Naga Babas and aghoris of the Juna Akhada (Shri Panchdashnaam Juna Akhada), camped within the temple premises, were seen practising tantrism and meditating. They arrived from across the country over the past few days.The Guwahati Municipal Corporation kept the concrete approach road from the foothill gate to the temple wet by spraying water, and laid carpets at stretches for devotees walking barefoot. Sanitation workers continuously cleared waste along the route to maintain cleanliness and prevent injuries.
