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Devotees in large numbers thronged temples across the country to offer prayers on the occasion of the first day of Chaitra Navaratri on Tuesday.
They stood in long queues waiting to offer ''Pooja'' and ''Prasad'' to Hindu goddess Durga. Hundreds of devotees visited several temples in the country since early morning to pay their obeisance to Goddess Shakti. During these nine days, the devotees worship various types of Durga, known as Navadurga. Streets wore a festive look with the locals performing Pooja. Several temples were also reverberated with the chants of ''Jai Mata Di'' since morning. Devotees also performed hawans and other rituals to celebrate the festival. In Prayagraj, devotees took a holy dip and offered prayers at the confluence of River Ganga and River Yamuna on the occasion of the first day of Chaitra Navaratri. They also thronged the Alopi Devi temple on the occasion. A huge crowd of devotees gathered to visit the Durga Temple in Varanasi. ANI spoke to spiritual leader Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati wherein he said, "This year we have made a resolution to declare cow as ''Rashtra Mata''. We will work towards making cow slaughter a punishable offence." During the nine days of Chaitra Navaratri, it is believed that nine different avatars of the goddess are worshipped. The celebrations also mark the start of the Hindu New Year as per the Luni-solar calendar, and people in Maharastra celebrate it as Gudi Padwa, while Kashmiri Hindus observe it as Navreh. The festival is also celebrated in southern states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka as Ugadi. The nine-day festival, which is also known as Rama Navratri, ends on Rama Navami, Lord Ram''s birthday. During Chaitra Navratri people also 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. In Madhya Pradesh, devotees took a holy bath in the Shipra river on the beginning of the new Vikram Samvat in Ujjain. Devotees also thronged Ayodhya''s Ram Temple which is celebrating the festival for the first time. Early morning Aarti was performed at Badi Devkali Mata Temple on the occasion. In the national capital, morning Aarti was performed at the Chhatarpur Temple. This year, Chaitra Navratri begins on April 9, 2024, and concludes on April 17, 2024. (ANI)
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