Ujjain : Religious and enthusiastic fervor of Navratri festival has gripped city. On the second day of Navratri thousands of people paid obeisance at the historic harsiddhi Temple and other temples on Friday.
From early morning, people started visiting the shrine and offered prayers amidst the Vedic chants. While a six years old girl from Tarana tehsil famous as Maa Bhagwati sowed Jwar (Barley seeds) on her body at Maa Ranchandi Temple of Mangalnath Gali, showing intense and deep spiritual relationship with Goddess Durga. The girl will bear the seeds for nine days till they sprout, she will refrain from eating or drinking during the period. Temple complexes have been decorated with flowers and lights for the nine-day-long festivities dedicated to different incarnations of Goddess Durga. Devotees from across the region thronged the shrines to pray for the well-being of their loved ones and the whole country.
Apart from the Harsiddhi Temple, special prayers were held in the temples dedicated to Goddess Durga across the region with number of social and religious organisations putting up various food stalls. Various Kalash Yatras and procession were also taken out to mark the day, in similar event Maa Jai Durga Jagran Samiti of Ashok Nagar took a chal samaroh to mark their auspicious ghat sthapna of Goddess Kalika. The idol was installed at Ashok Nagar square. While some of the residents were busy in their morning rituals and prayers of the Goddess, the real Garba for the youths and enthusiasts started in the evening at more than 100 Garba Pandals which have been put up in city at different places. Also, the Love-Jihad factor was responsible for the cautious arrangements of police and administration.
Astha Yuva Manch which has organised Garba at Rishinagar asked for valid id proofs from the participants and visitors. Various garba manch’s has sought police help to deal with “romeos. The organisers, however, say that they have retained the discretion to give out forms to desiring participants only if they are satisfied with the I-D proofs. So far, we haven’t given out forms to Muslim participants, an organiser says.
The organisers here have also installed additional CCTV cameras to spot suspected “romeo” male participants. The festival is also known for fasting and irrespective of age, devotees survive on fruits, curd, milk and dishes made of Tapioca seeds. Meanwhile, restaurants across the city also do brisk business during the festival as special Fariyali platters are very popular among the food lovers, fasting or not.
