New Delhi: The nine-day long Hindu festival of Navratri began with much fervour on Monday.
The Shardiya Navratri festival is dedicated to Goddess Durga and her nine avatars and today marks the first day of the festivity (Kalash or Ghatsthapna). The festival is celebrated with much fervour all across the country by Hindus.
Devotees flocked to the Mata Vaishno Devi Mandir atop the Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir's Katra on the first day today.
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has put in place all necessary arrangements to meet the heavy rush of devotees, officials said.
Similar scenes were also seen at the Mumbai Devi Temple in Mumba, where the early morning 'Aarti' was performed on the first day of the Navratri.
Visuals from Delhi's Jhandewalan temple in Delhi showed devotees offering prayers to Maa Durga.
The priest of Chhatarpur Temple Delhi while talking to ANI, talked about the significance of the festival.
"Today is the first day of Navratri, we worship in the name of Shailputri. Today, Maa Durga fulfils the wishes of those who worship her. Chhatarpur temple is not just famed in the country, but across the world. It was Sant Baba Nagpal Ji. We have done all the arrangements so that the devotees can worship the goddess, langar, security and sanitation arrangements have also been done," the priest said.
Navratri means 'nine nights' in Sanskrit. Hindus observe a total of four Navratris throughout the year. Only two of them, Chaitra Navaratri and Shardiya Navaratri see widespread celebrations, as they coincide with the beginnings of the seasons.
From Ashwin Shukla Paksha's Navami until the Pratipada, Shardiya Navratri is observed. While the holiday is celebrated with great fanfare across the nation, distinct traditions are more commonly practised in different states. (ANI)
