Devotees lined up at temples across the country on Sunday to celebrate the fourth day of Chaitra Navratri, dedicated to the worship of Goddess Kushmanda.
Goddess Kushmanda, whose name combines “Ku” (small), “Ushma” (powerful), and “Anda” (egg), is venerated on the fourth day of the nine-day festival.
At New Delhi’s Jhandewalan Temple, the temple priest told IANS, “Today marks the fourth day of Chaitra Navratri, dedicated to Maa Kushmanda. Devotees of Goddess Bhagvati (Kushmanda) have gathered here to seek her blessings. Those unable to visit the temple can worship the Goddess at home. It is all about faith and devotion.”
A devotee who came to offer prayers said, “I have been coming here for the past 20 years. It is by Maa Jhandewali’s grace that so many devotees visit to offer prayers.” Another visitor added that the arrangements in the temple were satisfactory.
Delhi’s Kalkaji Temple also saw worshippers arriving from early morning. A devotee said, “I come here during Navratri for all nine days. I usually visit on Saturdays, but today is the most crowded since it is the fourth day of the festival and a Sunday.”
A trustee of the Kalkaji Temple told IANS, “All arrangements—volunteers, barricades, lighting, announcements, and CCTV—have been made by the Shri Kalkaji Mandir Parvandak Sudhaar Committee. Compared to the last time, the crowd is slightly smaller, possibly due to rain and weather conditions.”
In Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas, a priest at Mata Tekri Temple told IANS, “Today is a very auspicious day as we worship Goddess Kushmanda. Whatever devotees pray for, all their wishes are granted by the Goddess on this day.” He added, “Blood spots of Devi Sati fell at this place, which is why it came to be known as ‘Rakt Peeth’.”
In Jammu and Kashmir’s Katra, a large number of devotees continued to arrive at the ‘Darshani Deodi’ of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine on the fourth day of Chaitra Navratri to offer prayers and seek blessings.
A devotee at Darshani Deodi said, “I feel very fortunate. I never imagined I would be able to visit here during Navratri. People often fear the crowd, and I, too, was one of them.” Praising the security arrangements, the devotee added, “Our vehicle numbers were noted at all entry points. Even though we arrived in Katra late at night, at 12 a.m., the police personnel were vigilant.”
Another devotee echoed that, despite the rush, all arrangements were well-managed.
In Haridwar, devotees waited in queues to offer prayers at the Sureshwari Devi Temple. The Chief Priest of Siddhpeeth Sureshwari Devi Temple told IANS, “Goddess Bhagwati is worshipped in her Kushmanda form today. According to scriptures, including references in the Skanda Purana, all deities, along with the king of Gods, Indra, have worshipped the Goddess here.”
Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur also witnessed a rush of devotees at Shri Naina Devi Temple. Temple official Chatar Singh told IANS, “During Chaitra Navratri, all arrangements are made for devotees. A community feast (bhandara) is also underway, and necessary preparations have been completed.”
–IANS
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