Navratri devotees take arduous climb
Junagadh, Gujarat, Oct 12: For urban Gujaratis, the festival of Navratri means nine nights of constant dance and gaiety but for the devotees of Junagadh, this festival entails the arduous climbing of 4800 steps of Mount Girnar, a challenge to devotees with old age and physical disabilities.
Leading the group of pilgrims is 95-year-old Gopalanandaji Bapu, who is the main priest of Agni Akhada, a group of devotees. Having climbed 4800 steps of Mount Girnar, leading to Gaumukhi Ganga, the opening of water stream, Gopalanandaji will go into a cave and will perform rituals for whole nine nights and days of this festival.
''During
the
nine
days
of
festival,
I
practice
complete
silence
and
wake
up
before
twilight
sketches
the
sky
with
crimson
colour
in
the
east.
I
devote
whole
day
to
the
worship
of
Maa
Jagdamba.
After
the
sunset,
I
climb
700
steps
of
Ambaji
temple
and
perform
the
ceremony
of
arati,''
Gopalanandaji
told
UNI