By IANS,
Lucknow : Amid Vedic chants and religious hymns, a large number of devotees Monday thronged temples here to observe Navratri – the auspicious festival of nine nights dedicated to Goddess Durga and her nine forms.
Queues of barefoot devotees carrying ‘chunris’, bangles, vermilion and other religious items offered to Goddess Durga were witnessed at the temples as early as 5 a.m., particularly the Kali Temple in Chowk locality that has been embellished with electronic lights.
‘Kali’ is one of the nine forms of Goddess Durga.
“Navratri is celebrated as the win against all odds. It is believed that people who observe a fast and devote themselves to Goddess Durga with purity during the period would be blessed by the divine mother,” said Onkar Nath Shastri, a priest with the Kali temple here.
Navratri is celebrated twice a year — during spring and autumn.
“Today (Monday) is the first day of Navratri, so I have come here along with my family to pay obeisance to Shailputri – the first form of Goddess Durga. We have full faith in her and we believe that all our prayers offered during the period would be answered,” said Manmohan Tripathi, who visited Kali temple.