Kamakhya temple in Guwahati will remain shut till June 30:

Guwahati, June 4: The famous Kamakhya temple, located atop of Nilachal hills in Guwahati will remain shut for public till June 30.

The temple management committee has decided not to open the temple for public worship until June 30.

The centre and Assam government have made some relaxations for Unlock 1 and allowed the opening of religious places, places for worship for the public from June 8 by maintaining social distancing norms and to a gathering of maximum 20 persons per hour.

But, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state, the temple management committee has taken this decision.

For the first time in its history, the Ambubachi Mela at the historical Kamakhya Temple has also been called off this year due to the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The decision was taken in a meeting of the temple management authority.

The Kamakhya Temple management authority said that, however, the customary rituals will be continued.

The Ambubachi Mela is an annual Hindu Mela (fair) held at Kamakhya Temple and it is the celebration of the yearly menstruation course of goddess Maa Kamakhya and the mela started from June 22 every year at Kamakhya Temple.

Kamakhya temple priest Mohit Sarma said that, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the temple management committee has decided not to open the temple for public till June 30.

“As a precautionary measure to check the spread of the deadly novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Kamakhya temple management authority had shut doors of the temple for devotees from March 20. It will be continued till June 30. The temple management committee has also decided to not hold the Ambubachi Mela for the public this year. Last year, around 25 lakh people had gathered during the three-day mela,” Mohit Sarma said.

Assam has so far reported 1877 positive cases for COVID-19.