Durga Puja and Navratri celebrations continued with great fervour across India on Friday as millions geared up to bid adieu. 'Navami' is the last day of Navratri on which people end their fast with ‘kanya bhoj’, puja and havan. It is also the penultimate day of Durga Puja — marking the hours after Goddess Durga untimely defeated the buffalo demon Mahishasura.
Another iteration of the nine-day festival is also known as Rama Navratri and ends on Rama Navami — the birthday of Lord Ram. During Chaitra Navratri, people fast and worship the goddess Durga. They also perform Ghatasthapana, the invocation of goddess Shakti, which is a significant ritual followed during the period. Navratri also celebrates calmness and peacefulness in the form of Maha Gauri Mata.
Shardiya Navratri is a vibrant and sacred Hindu festival that spans nine nights, celebrating the divine feminine energy embodied by Goddess Durga. Observed in the lunar month of Ashwin, this festival is marked by fervent worship, elaborate rituals, and cultural performances.
(With inputs from agencies)
