Devotees across country flock to temples for Durga Ashtami prayers

March 26, 2026 10:44 AM

Devotees across country flock to temples for Durga Ashtami prayers

Devotees across the country flocked to temples on Thursday to celebrate Durga Ashtami, one of the most significant days of the Chaitra Navratri festival. Temple premises resonated with chants, hymns, and devotional songs, creating a vibrant spiritual atmosphere as thousands gathered to offer prayers. In the national capital, a large number of devotees thronged the Jhandewalan Temple, where celebrations were held with great enthusiasm. The temple premises were filled with devotees singing bhajan...

PM Modi joins Durga Puja celebrations at Delhi’s Chittaranjan Park

September 30, 2025 10:06 PM

PM Modi joins Durga Puja celebrations at Delhi’s Chittaranjan Park

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday evening participated in the Durga Puja festivities at Chittaranjan Park (CR Park), popularly known as Delhi’s “mini Bengal,” on the auspicious occasion of Maha Ashtami. The Prime Minister offered prayers at the Kali Mandir around sandhikaal - the sacred juncture between Ashtami and Navami, believed to be the moment Goddess Chamunda manifested to slay demons Chanda and Munda. He also performed sandhya aarti of Maa Durga at the pandal set up by the CR...

Year after year, appeal of Belur Math’s ‘Kumari Puja’ remains undiminished

September 30, 2025 5:11 PM

Year after year, appeal of Belur Math’s ‘Kumari Puja’ remains undiminished

On the occasion of Maha Ashtami on Tuesday, Kumari Puja - the worship of young girls as an embodiment of Goddess Durga - was performed at Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission in Howrah, near Kolkata. The ritual was observed with the same enthusiasm and devotion that has marked it for more than a century, drawing followers of Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, his consort Maa Sarada, and his disciple Swami Vivekananda. The devotional appeal of Kumari Puja has re...