Navratri times - Ashtami fervour: City feels the power of Shakti

AHMEDABAD: Hundreds of yagna and special aarti marked Durga Ashtami celebrations in the city on Sunday as devotees prepared naivaidhya (food offered to deities) at their residences.
Thousands thronged major pandals set up by city's Bengali Association at Vastrapur which was the venue of a major puja organized to celebrate Ashtami on Sunday . Kanak Das Adhikari, general secretary of the association, said that it is the oldest organization celebrating Durga Puja in the city .Not only Bengalis but other residents of the city also look forward to its celebrations, Adhikari said.
“This year, we had more visitors compared to last year,“ he said.
“Durga Puja was being celebrated here with authentic Bengali delicacies and music from October 5. We have also installed a replica of city's Kalibaat the venue. On Sunday , the puja started from ri early in the morning as thousands had gathered to offer prayers,“ Adhika ri said. Kalupur police sta tion officials organized a yagna on Sunday . MD Upadhyay , inspector of the police station, said that it is a decades-old practice to ensure that the area prospers and the crime rate remains low. Shashank Shastri, a resident of Vejalpur, said ashtami holds special significance in Navratri as one of the holiest days in the calendar. “Hence, the city had a number of religious events. Major temples in the city performed yagna and prayed for the well-being of all,“ said Shastri.
On the occasion of Muharram on Sunday , the city's Muslims mourned in mosques the deaths of martyrs at the battle of Karbala. The final preparations for Tazia procession, to be taken out on Wednesday , also started in various areas of the city from Sunday evening.