SSC
The Ambubachi Mela, which marks the annual menstruation of the goddess, is held every year at which temple?
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Answer: Option C — Kamakhya Temple (Assam)
Detailed Solution
The Ambubachi Mela is held every year in June, during the monsoon, at the Kamakhya Temple on the Nilachal hill in Guwahati, Assam. It is one of the largest religious gatherings in North-East India, attracting lakhs of devotees, sadhus and tantrics from across India and abroad.
The Ambubachi Mela marks the annual menstruation of Goddess Kamakhya, the presiding deity of the temple. According to belief, during the monsoon, the goddess, who represents the creative power of the earth and of women, goes through her menstrual cycle. During this period, the temple remains closed for three days, and no worship is performed. Farming activities, such as ploughing, digging and sowing, are also avoided in many parts of Assam, as the earth is believed to be resting. On the fourth day, the temple is reopened after the goddess is bathed and rituals are performed, and devotees enter to receive her blessings. Devotees receive pieces of red cloth, called "angabastra", which are believed to be moistened with the menstrual fluid of the goddess and are regarded as very sacred.
The Kamakhya Temple is one of the most important Shakti Peethas, the places where, according to legend, the parts of the body of Goddess Sati fell when Lord Shiva carried her body after her death. At Kamakhya, her yoni (womb) is believed to have fallen, and the goddess is worshipped in the form of a yoni-shaped stone in a cave in the temple, kept moist by a natural spring. The temple is an important centre of Tantric worship. The present temple was rebuilt in the 16th century by the Koch king Naranarayan. The festival also celebrates womanhood and fertility.
A similar belief about the menstruation of the earth is found in Raja Parba, the festival of Odisha held in June.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Vaishno Devi Temple (Jammu) is in the Trikuta hills near Katra.
- ✗Kalighat Temple (West Bengal) is a famous Kali temple in Kolkata.
- ✗Jwalamukhi Temple (Himachal Pradesh) is famous for its eternal flames.
Quick tip
Remember: The Ambubachi Mela = the Kamakhya Temple (Nilachal hill, Guwahati), June and the menstruation of the goddess. Kamakhya is a major Shakti Peetha.
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Festivals & Fairs of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Festivals & Fairs of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the religious, harvest, tribal and cultural festivals of India, the fairs (melas) held across the country, and the states, communities and seasons linked to them. It also includes festivals listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, such as Kumbh Mela and Durga Puja in Kolkata. Most questions ask which state celebrates a festival, which tribe it belongs to, or what event it marks. Harvest festivals are especially common: Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Onam (Kerala), Bihu (Assam), Lohri and Baisakhi (Punjab) and Nuakhai (Odisha). Fairs such as the Pushkar camel fair (Rajasthan) and the Sonepur cattle fair (Bihar) are also frequently tested. Revise festivals state by state. Practise the festivals and fairs questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.