Thousands of devotees of Goddess in the state welcomed the deity as the nine-day festival Navratri began on Monday. Temples thronged with worshippers who waited in long queues for the darshan.
The four most famous temples of the Goddess in the state at Ratanpur, Dantewada, Jagdalpur and Dongargarh saw enormous rush right from the break of dawn. People offered fruits and sweets to the Goddess and prayed for wel-being of their friends and family. Amid beefed up security arrangements, thousands of devotees from faraway places visited Mata Bamleshwari Temple at the famous temple town of Dongargarh. While some climbed 1,100 steps to reach the picturesque top of hill where the temple is situated, other opted for the ropeway. More than 1,000 jawans are deployed around the temple to ensure peace and harmony.
Mahamaya temple at Ratanpur in the state also saw devotees from several parts of the state. People walked tens of kilometres under the blazing sun, without food or water and offered their prayers to Goddess Mahamaya. Thousands of earthen lamps were lit on the first day of the festival. Bhajans were sung by musical groups and the whole atmosphere filled with fragrance of flowers and incense.
Danteshwari temple at Dantewada and Jagdalpur was filled with people who sought Goddess’s blessings. Many men went tonsure as an offering to the Devi. The temple displayed explicit decorations with flowers and distributed free meals to the poor. Temples of the state capital also welcomed the festival with brimming enthusiasm. Stalls outside temples sold flowers, coconuts and other offerings in large numbers. The crowd kept pouring throughout the afternoon despite the heat. People visited the temples with their children and elderly parents for the darshan. Stalls of drinking water were also installed around the temple to quench the thirst of devotees.
Navratri is a Hindu festival of worship and dance. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit; Nava meaning Nine and Ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti i.e. female divinity are worshipped.