Delhi/Hyderabad, Oct 11 (Maxim News): Thousands of devotees visited temples across India on Sunday, October 11, as Shardiya Navratri began with prayers, rituals and religious celebrations dedicated to Goddess Durga.
Long queues formed at prominent temples from Jammu and Kashmir to Karnataka. Devotees offered prayers, observed fasts and participated in special rituals marking the first day of the nine-day festival.
At the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, large crowds gathered at RFID card counters before beginning their pilgrimage. In Gujarat’s Surat, devotees visited the 400-year-old Juna Ambaji Temple in Gopipura for the morning Mangala Aarti.
Temple priest Jitendra Bharti Goswami said devotees had been arriving since 3 am to seek blessings. He also recalled the temple’s historical significance and its association with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Mahatma Gandhi.
Navratri Celebrations Draw Crowds at Major Temples
In Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, devotees gathered at the Maa Shailputri Temple in Alaipura to offer prayers. Many observed fasts and participated in rituals marking the beginning of Navratri.
In Prayagraj, worshippers visited the Alop Shankari Shaktipeeth Temple. Others took a holy dip in the Ganga at Dashashwamedh Ghat in Daraganj and offered prayers to Goddess Shailputri.
Temple chief priest Mansukh Maharaj said long queues had formed since morning. He added that arrangements had been made to manage the crowds.
Pramod Tiwari, a priest in Prayagraj, said devotees were also collecting Ganga water and soil for home worship after the conclusion of Pitru Paksha.
In Mumbai, devotees visited the Shri Mumba Devi Temple. Meanwhile, worshippers gathered at the Maa Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar, Uttarakhand.
In Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas, devotees attended morning aarti at the Maa Chamunda and Maa Tulja Bhavani temples. At the Badi Mata Temple, priest Harshal said many devotees consider first-day darshan an auspicious beginning.
Navratri celebrations also began in Karnataka’s Vijayapura with a procession of hundreds of devotees carrying candles towards the Laxmi Temple.
Shardiya Navratri begins on the first day of the Hindu lunar month of Ashwin. Devotees worship nine forms of Goddess Durga during the festival and observe fasting, prayers and other rituals.
The celebrations culminate in Vijayadashami, also known as Dussehra, which symbolises the victory of good over evil. In 2026, Navratri began on October 11, with Vijayadashami falling on October 20.
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