Ujjain : The festival of Durga Ashtami was celebrated with enthusiasm in the city on Friday. Devotees started visiting the temples, which were decked up with beautiful flowers and lights, early in the morning.
It was also the day of ‘Kanya poojan’ and little girls carrying lot of gift packets in their hands were awfully busy visiting for ‘Kanya poojan’.
As majority of schools in the city open between 7 and 7. 30 a.m., people faced problem in arranging for the Kanyas. At some places, residents were seen requesting the school-going children to visit their house first. Lot of hustle and bustle was observed near temples where children, especially of migrant labourers, waited eagerly for the Prasad of the feast. Sitting with big polythene bags in their hands, these children were also singing religious songs related to Goddess Durga
Some students opted to take a leave from school. The city of temples celebrated the festival with religious fervour, fasting for eight days and worshipping Goddess Durga in her nine forms. All the temples in the city were illuminated with colorful lights.
The famous Shakipeeth Harsiddhi Temple was ardently decorated and the deity was offered a beautiful makeup. A shaskiya (government), Pujan was offered to goddess Harsiddhi, where Collector offered Pujan to the deity. Similar decorations were seen at the Bhukhi Mata, Chamunda Mata, Gadh Kalika, Chousath Yogini, and Nagarkot Mata temple. Devout denizens started their day with kanya pujan, in which little girls were invited for a special puja.
Many had been fasting for all eight days of the Navratras and on Ashtami with the kanya pujan thier Navratras concluded.
