With the footfall of pilgrims rising at a speedy rate since last one week, Guwahati is all ready to host its prestigious festival, Ambubachi Mela, at the Nilachal hills' Kamakhya Temple.

Ambubachi Mela is an annual Hindu Mela held at Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati. This yearly Mela is celebrated during the monsoon season that happens to fall during the Assamese month of Ahaar. It is believed that the presiding goddess of the temple, Devi Kamakhya, the Mother Shakti, goes through her annual cycle of menstruation during this time stretch.

This year the Ambubachi Mela begins on June 22 and ends on June 26. As part of rituals that are being followed for ages, temple authorities will close the main door on June 21 (Thursday) evening and reopen on June 26 (Tuesday) morning.

This year's  Ambubachi Mela will be inaugurated by Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal at Sonaram High School Playground in Guwahati, Assam Tourism Development Corporation's chairman Jayanta Malla Baruah informed.

Commissioner of Police Hiren Chandra Nath said all adequate safety measures have been taken by Assam police for the course of Ambubachi Mela. Informing on the much debated question of special arrangements to VIPs and VVIPs every year during the festival, he said no special treatment or arrangement for VIP or VVIPs will be provided this year.

The Ambubachi Mela begins with prabrity 54 second past 9.27 on Friday evening (June 22) and Nibrity 56 second past 7.51 on Tuesday morning (June 26).