Devotees rush at temples during 'Navratri' festival

New Delhi/ Ayodhya/Varanasi, Apr 7 : Devotees in different parts of the country offered prayers with devotion on the second day of the nine-day 'Navratri' festival.

In New Delhi, the star attraction during the festival is Jhandewalan temple with devotees queuing up outside the temple since early morning to offer prayers.

Devotees believe that wishes are fulfilled with prayers to Goddess Durga during the nine-day festival. They observe fasts and consume only fruits and milk in their meals and make offerings of fruits and flowers to the Goddess during the festival.

"To understand and feel the presence of divine, the devotees fast for nine days and adhere to simplicity, along with following the rules of the fast," said Pandit Yuvraj Shastri, a priest, Jhandewalan temple.

The temple in Ayodhya also witnessed the presence of large number of devotees who offered prayers to seek the deity's blessings.

"This Navratra belongs to mother Goddess Jagdamba. During nine days, Goddess Jagdamba blesses all her devotees. With Goddess Jagdamba's (Goddess Durga) blessings the wishes of all her devotees are fulfilled," said Narayan Dwivedi, a priest, Ayodhya.

While at the holy city Varanasi, the large numbers of students of Vedic school, sat in meditation at the bank of river Ganga and pledged to connect the humanity to the cause of cleaning the holy river.

The students performed holy rituals and worshipped the river in form of Goddess Ganga.

"Navratri", dedicated to Goddess Durga is celebrated twice in a year, during the spring and the autumn season.

ANI