Fervour marks beginning of Chaitra Navratra
THE CHAITRA Navratra festival for the worship of Goddess Durga began amid traditional fervour here on Thursday. Devotees thronged temples to pay obeisance to the goddess since the wee hours.
THE CHAITRA Navratra festival for the worship of Goddess Durga began amid traditional fervour here on Thursday.
Devotees thronged temples to pay obeisance to the goddess since the wee hours.
The Navratra marks worship of nine different forms of the goddess.
The first day was dedicated to the Goddess Nirmalika Gauri whose temple is situated in the Gaighat area. Devotees queued up to pay obeisance to the Goddess since early morning. Worship continued till late in the night.
The second day of the Navratra is dedicated to Goddess Brahmcharini whose temple is situated at Durga ghat.
Devotees also installed ‘kalash’ at their homes on Thursday. Some of them began observing a fast. A large number of makeshift shops were set up around almost all the Durga temples in the city.
Meanwhile, the district administration made elaborate security arrangements around major temples.
There was a posse of security personnel in and around the temple of Nirmalika Gauri. A large contingent was deployed on other prominent temples in the city.
Intelligence personnel were told to keep a close eye on crowds at temples.
A sector magistrate and a DSP, along with policemen, patrolled their respective areas.