Navratri celebration: Devotees throng temples

Devotees thronged temples in large numbers to mark the beginning of the nine-day long Hindu festival, Navratri on Friday. Scores of worshipers queued outside the Jhandewala temple in New Delhi from the wee hours to be part of the special prayers conducted in the morning. Meanwhile, people in different parts of India are celebrate the advent of Hindu New Year. In Mumbai, people gathered on the roads to celebrate the New Year with their local festival of Gudi Padwa. People lighted crackers and fireworks and danced to the tunes of traditional Marathi songs on makeshift stages on the road.