The nine-day-long Hindu festival, Chaitra Navratri, begins today. The festival symbolises the victory of good over evil. Chaitra is the first month of the year as per the Hindu calendar.
The last day of the festivities is observed as Ram Navami, celebrating the birth of Lord Rama on earth. Chaitra Navratri also represents the victory of Goddess Durga over demon Mahishasura. Devotees fast and worship all the nine forms of Goddess Durga over the nine days of the festival for prosperity and fortune.
On the occasion of Navratri, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday extended his greetings to the people.
“Happy Navratri to all the countrymen. May this festival of worship of Shakti infuse new energy in everyone’s life,” tweeted the Prime Minister.
As the Chaitra Navratri begins today, a large number of devotees flocked to Mata Vaishno Devi Temple in Katra, Jammu to offer prayers. Similar scenes were seen in Durga temples across the country. Devotees started queueing up in Delhi’s Jhandewalan Temple, Durga Temple in Varanasi and Mumba Devi Temple in Mumbai.