Ambubachi Mela — Kamakhya, Assam

The Ambubachi Mela is the second largest religious gathering in India. It’s held over four days to celebrate the annual menstrual cycle of the goddess Kamakhya. Hundreds of thousands of Tantric and Shakti worshippers descend on the hill-top Kamakhya Temple, including many Sadhus (holy men and women). On the final day of the gathering, the temple doors open and over a thousand goats are sacrificed.

For three nights, we slept inside the temple on bare rock, only to be woken at 3.30am by monsoon rains.