Morning Aarti at Jhandewalan Temple Marks Start of Chaitra Navratri Festival in Delhi

New Delhi [India], March 30 : The Chaitra Navratri festival began on Sunday with a morning aarti at the popular Jhandewalan Temple, where Goddess Durga was worshipped as Mata Shailputri on the first day.

Neetu, a devotee who attended the morning aarti at the temple, said she reached at 4 am and had a great darshan. "We reached at 4 am for the aarti. It was a very good 'Darshan'. May Goddess bless everyone," she said.

Jhandewalan Temple priest Ambika Prasad Pant clarified that Goddess Durga is revered in her incarnation as Shailputri on the first day of Chaitra Navratri. "Today is the first day of Chaitra Navratri. Goddess Durga is revered as Shailputri today. She is referred to as Shailputri because she is believed to be the daughter of the Himalayas," he said.

Ravindra Goel, one of the trustees of the Jhandewalan Temple, wished people on Navratri and Hindu New Year, ensuring arrangements had been made for a comfortable darshan experience.

"Happy Navratri and new year to all! Several devotees come to the Jhandewalan Temple during the Navratri festival. We have arranged different facilities so that everyone can have a good darshan here," he said.

Navratri, which literally means 'nine nights' in Sanskrit, is a period that is spent worshiping Goddess Durga and her nine incarnations, referred to as Navdurga.

Hindus celebrate four Navratris a year, but just two of them—Chaitra Navratri and Shardiya Navratri—are popular, since they fall around seasonal transitions. Navratri is celebrated differently and in many different traditions in India.

This nine-day celebration, also known as Ram Navratri, concludes on Ram Navami, which is the birthday of Lord Ram. All nine days are spent worshiping the nine avatars of goddess 'Shakti.'

The festival is celebrated with utmost devotion throughout India, with rituals and prayers honoring the goddess in her different forms.

Akashvani's Aradhana YouTube Channel will present a series of special programs from March 30 to April 6 in celebration of Navratri.

To commemorate the significance of every day, the channel will broadcast a specially chosen series from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. In addition, Shakti Aradhana will be telecast daily from 8:30 AM to 8:40 AM, providing the audience with lovely spiritual performances, according to a release by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

One of the main attractions during the celebrations will be Navratri Bhajans sung by renowned singers such as Anup Jalota, Narinder Chanchal, Jagjit Singh, Hari Om Sharan, Mahendra Kapoor, and Anuradha Paudwal. The songs will be aired daily between 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

In addition, "Devi Maa Ke Anek Swaroop," a special show featuring motivating stories associated with Navratri, will be broadcast every day from 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM. The channel will also focus on different Shakti Peeths in the nation, providing listeners with a closer insight into the divine sites dedicated to Goddess Durga, as per the release.

The Navratri celebrations will be wrapped up with a massive live show on Ram Janmotsav, directly from Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya. This unique show will telecast on April 6 from 11:45 AM to 12:15 PM so that viewers across the country can participate in the sacred celebrations.