Katra (J&K): The nine-day long festival of Navratri, which marks the worship of Goddess Durga, began with religious fervour and gaiety on Sunday as a large number of devotees thronged the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi in Jammu on the first day.
On the first day of Navratri, Devi Durga is worshipped as ‘Shailaputri’ and during these nine days, devotees observe fast and perform ‘puja’.
On this occasion, a grand Shobha-yatra was also taken out in Katra where people from different states of the country participated.
Speaking at a public gathering here, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that this will be the first Navratri, Vijaya Dashmi and Diwali after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kasmir.
"The most important thing is that Article 370 was abrogated by Home Minister Amit Shah under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Due to the blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi, this historical feat was achieved so I have come here to take blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi," said Singh.
Talking to ETV Bharat a devotee said, "I have come here with my family and we are very happy and feeling safe after the abrogation of article 370. We are very satisfied with the security arrangements here."
In view of the Navratri festival, security has been tightened in and around the Mata Vaishno Devi temple and its base camp in Katra.
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and the J&K Tourism Board has also made several arrangements to make sure that the festivities leave a lasting impression on the devotees.
This year, Navratri is being observed from September 29 to October 7. Navratri in Sanskrit means nine nights in which nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshipped in a particular order. Alongside observing fast and performing various rituals, preparing a special offering for each day holds symbolic significance.
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