Devotees throng temples marking Navratras

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Devotees throng temples marking Navratras in Delhi

ANI

New Delhi, Oct. 12 2007

 

Thousands of Hindus are visiting various temples across the

capital marking the beginning of Navratras, the nine-day

festival dedicated to Goddess Durga here.

 

The festival is big occasion in all temples with a large

number of devotees can be noticed waiting in queue,

especially during early morning and evening hours.

 

At the famous Jandewalan Temple, about four kilometres

from Connaught Place, a large number congregated to offer

prayers.

 

" We are praying before the Goddess Vaishno, the mother of

all Gods. We hope this will bring happiness and prosperity

to our families with Mother's blessings, " said Ambika

Prasad Pant, a devotee.

 

Most of the Hindu families observe fasts during the nine-

day festival, taking only fruits and milk.

 

" Devotees keep fasts and have only fruits during these nine

days. We offer the special offerings of fruits and flowers,

like lotus and roses, to the Goddess, " said Pandit Yuvraj

Shastri, a priest, Jhandewalan temple.

 

Goddess Durga is worshipped in all parts of the country in

different forms. The festival is celebrated as Durga Puja in

the West Bengal while in the rest of the country, it is known

as Navratras. In Gujarat and Maharastra, it is celebrated

with Garba and Dandiya-raas or traditional dance functions.

 

Durga stands for " Shakti " or power. She is depicted as

riding a raging lion, holding weapons in her ten hands.

 

Meanwhile, security has been tightened at the temples

across the country following a bomb explosion at Ajmer

Sharif shrine dedicated to Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin

Chisti on Thursday, killing at least two people and

wounding 17.

 

The Navratra commences on the first day (pratipada) of the

bright fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Ashwin.

 

The festival is celebrated for nine nights once every year

during the beginning of October, although as the dates of the

festival are determined according to the Hindu lunar

calendar.

 

Navratras are segregated into sets of three days as per three

different aspects of the supreme goddess and her nine forms

or manifestations.

 

During first three days, the goddess is invoked as a spiritual

force called Durga in order to destroy all the impurities,

vices and defects. In the next three days, the mother

Goddess is adored as " Lakshmi " , the Goddess of wealth.

 

And, the last three days of the Navaratras, are devoted to

Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and wisdom.

 

Believers seek the blessings of all three aspects of the divine

femininity to have all-round success in life and hence the

nine nights of worship.

 

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throng-temples-marking-Navratras-in-Delhi

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