New Delhi: As the festival of Chaitra Navaratri began, temples across the country witnessed a surge of devotees coming together to celebrate the first day of the nine-day festival dedicated to worshipping Goddess Durga.
Devotees were seen standing up in queues to offer their prayers to Maa Durga on the first day of Navratri.
On the eve of Nav Samvatsar, a large number of devotees participated in Ganga Aarti in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi, offering prayers for prosperity.
A huge crowd gathered at Shri Rajrajeshwari Maa Kela Devi Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad on Chaitra Navratri’s first day as devotees arrived for Mangala Darshan.
Special havan and aartis are planned for nine days, with tight security arrangements in place to ensure devotees’ convenience.
On the first day of Chaitra Navratri, a large number of devotees visited the Jhandewalan Temple in Delhi to seek blessings and offered prayers.
A large number of pilgrims visited the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, to mark the first day of Chaitra Navratri.
On the first day of Navratri, a large number of devotees gathered at the Chhatarpur Temple in Delhi for darshan.
Long queues were seen at the Shri Aadya Katyayani Shaktipith Mandir. The day is dedicated to the worship of Maa Shailputri.
Priest Pandit Kuldeep in Haryana’s Jhajjar told IANS, “Today marks the first day of Navratri… a massive crowd of devotees has gathered. Many devotees had already arrived for Mata’s Mangala Aarti, and the atmosphere is filled with spiritual fervour and devotion.”
A devotee at the Chhatarpur Temple in Delhi told IANS, “On this first day of Navratri, I pray to Mata Rani and God to fulfill everyone’s wishes, bring prosperity to our country and homes, and bless our children with wisdom…”
On the first day of Navratri, a large number of devotees gathered at Kalkaji Temple, standing in long queues for darshan.
On the first day of Chaitra Navratri, devotees gathered at the Mata Mansa Devi temple in Hayana’s Panchkula.
A grand fair has been organised, and the Panchkula Police have deployed 837 personnel at the temple.
Special arrangements were made for the elderly and differently-abled while dry fruits were added to the prasad distribution.
The nine-day-long Chaitra Navratri festival began on Sunday (March 30), with the morning aarti being offered at temples across the national capital.
On the first day of Navratri, Goddess Durga is worshipped in the form of Mata Shailputri.
Shri Aadya Katyayani Shaktipith Mandir showed a large number of people gathered to offer prayers and seek blessings from Goddess Durga.
A large number of devotees reached at Mata Vaishno Devi Temple on the first day of ‘Chaitra Navratri’ to seek the blessings of the Goddess on Sunday.
Navratri, which means ‘nine nights’ in Sanskrit, is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga and her nine avatars, collectively known as Navdurga.
Hindus observe four Navratris throughout the year, but only two — Chaitra Navratri and Shardiya Navratri — are widely celebrated, as they coincide with the changing of the seasons.
In India, Navratri is celebrated in various forms and traditions.
The nine-day festival, also known as Ram Navratri, concludes on Ram Navami, which marks the birthday of Lord Ram.
Throughout the festival, all nine days are devoted to honouring the nine incarnations of Goddess ‘Shakti’.
The festival is celebrated with great devotion across India, with rituals and prayers honouring the goddess in her various forms.
Each day is dedicated to a different form of the goddess, symbolising various aspects of strength, compassion, and wisdom. Devotees engage in fasting, singing devotional songs, and creating a joyful atmosphere.
The Navratri celebrations will culminate in a grand live programme on Ram Janmotsav, directly from Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, Ayodhya.
This special broadcast will take place on April 6 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., bringing the divine festivities to audiences across the nation.
–IANS
