With the commencement of Navratri, the entire town of divisional headquarters Jagdalpur turned devotional with devotees making beeline to Goddess Durga temples with coconut, flower and other things. Mahamaya Devi Temple located at Purani Basti Raipur and other parts of the State also witnessed the same.
People from all-aged groups paid obeisance to Goddess Durga. In most of the temples havan and puja were performed from early morning. Maa Danteshwari Temple, Gayatri Mandir, Hinglajin Mandir, Devi temple at Khadakkhat witnessed large number of footfalls.
At Danteshwari Temple located at Dantewada, Navratri festival commenced in traditional style even as Goddess Danteshwari’s puja was performed with vedic ritual, Chandi Paath, havan as well as lighting of over 12,000 ‘Manokamana Deep’, of which 8,000 was put at Dantewada temple while over 4,000 deeps were lit at Jagdalpur Danteshwari Temple.
With the commencement of the festival, group of devotees have also started trickling in from different parts of Bastar. On the first day, Goddess’s Shailputri (Daughter of Himalaya) was worshipped.
Goddess Durga’s nine avatars — Shailputri, Brahm-acharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandh Mata, Katyayani, Kalratri, Mahagauri, Shiddhidatri - are worshipped.
Chhattisgarh has number of famous Devi temples like Maa Bamleshwari temple at Dongargarh, Maa Chandrahasini Temple at Chandrapur, Mahamaya Temple at Ratanpur and others which receive large number of visitors during the Navratri.