Mela Kheer Bhawani, Ambubachi Mela & Raja Festival : GS TIMES IAS-PCS

Several traditional festivals were celebrated across different parts of India in June 2026, reflecting the country’s rich cultural heritage, religious diversity, and deep-rooted agrarian traditions.

Mela Kheer Bhawani Celebrated in Kashmir

In the Kashmir Valley, the annual Mela Kheer Bhawani was observed with great religious fervour on the occasion of Jyeshtha Ashtami.
The festival is one of the most significant religious events for the Kashmiri Pandit community. Devotees visited the Kheer Bhawani Temple at Tulmulla to offer Kheer (rice pudding), milk, flowers, and aromatic leaves to Mata Ragnya Devi.
The annual mela symbolises faith, resilience, cultural reconnection, and communal harmony, with pilgrims from across the country participating in the celebrations.

Ambubachi Mela Begins at Kamakhya Temple in Assam

In Assam, the renowned Ambubachi Mela commenced at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati and will conclude on 26 June 2026.
Lakhs of devotees have gathered to participate in the annual festival, which marks the annual menstruation of Goddess Kamakhya, symbolising fertility, womanhood, and the creative power of nature.
During the observance, the temple remains closed to devotees, with its gates scheduled to reopen at 9:08 p.m. on 25 June, marking the end of the goddess’s annual period of seclusion.

Odisha Celebrates Raja Festival

In Odisha, the three-day Raja Festival was celebrated with enthusiasm, marking the onset of the monsoon and the beginning of the Odia month of Ashadha.
The festival symbolises reverence for Mother Earth, who is believed to undergo her annual menstrual cycle during this period, and highlights Odisha’s rich agrarian traditions.
Festivities included traditional swings, cultural programmes, special delicacies, and community celebrations across both rural and urban areas, with people of all age groups participating.

Source: AIR

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