Navratra festival takes off with fanfare at Katra

Katra, Sep 23 (UNI) The nine-day long Navratra festival took off with religious fervour at the base camp of the Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage here today.

The festival, being organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department in collaboration with the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, was inaugurated by state Minister for Tourism Dilawar Mir. Minister for Rural Development Jugal Kishore Sharma, Director Tourism Ajay Khajuria and Secretary, Tourism Nayeem Akhtar were also present on the occasion.

Mr Mir and Mr Sharma after the ribbon cutting ceremony at the gate of the town here performed a 'puja', seeking blessings of the 'kanjaks'.

The dignitaries then led the tableau of replica of 'pindis of Mata Vaishno in a form of 'shobha yatra' cum cultural procession with the chanting of 'jai mata di'. A chopper flying overhead sprinkled the crowd with petals and school children lined both sides of the road with banners and placards.

Meanwhile, thousands of devotees have arrived here to seek the blessings of Goddess Vaishno Devi in the Trikuta hills. Both the Tourism and Shrine board have made elaborate arrangements for the festival to ensure a smooth conduct of the pilgrimage. The town has been given a face-lift, ornamental gates have been decorated and hotels, shops and buildings are decked with lights.

Both the departments have planned various attractions including an all-India devotional song competition, songs and dances organised by the Songs and Drama division of the Sr Sec School of Katra, a 'Jagrata' by star attraction Lakhbir Singh Lakkha, National Award winning play by Baba Jitto, Bhagwat Katha and All India Wrestling Competition with selected wrestlers from Pakistan.

The Navratra festival commemorates the victory of Goddess Durga over a demon, Mahishasur. During Navratri, devotees of Goddess Durga observe a fast and pray for health and prosperity. Nine different manifestations of Durga are worshipped over the span of nine days: Durga : Goddess beyond reach, Bhadrakali: the auspicious power of time, Amba or Jagdamba: mother of the world, Annapurna: giver of food and plenty, Sarvamangala: auspicious, Goddess Bhairavi: terrible, fearful, power of death, Chandika or Handi: violent, wrathful, furious, Lalita: playful, and Bhavani: giver of existence.

Idols of Goddess Durga are elaborately decorated and worshipped in elaborate pandals for nine days, and on the tenth day, they are immersed in a river. All nine days of the festival bear a religious significance.

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