The annual Ambubachi Mela, one of eastern Indias leading religious congregations held at Kamakhya Temple atop Nilachal Hills here, has been cancelled because of threats posed by the Covid-19 pandemic for the second year running.
The mela is held from June 22 every year but the temple will remain closed till June 30.
Over 20 lakh visitors/tourists had attended the 2018 mela and about 25 lakh in 2019 from within India and outside but most from Bengal and Bihar. The place hold special significance for Hindus because Kamakhya Temple is one of the 51 shaktipeeths in the country. The temple remains closed during the four-day period because the goddess is believed to undergo her menstrual cycle.