Navratri begins with devotion and festive fervour across IndiaNavratri festivities began with grandeur across India as devotees thronged temples to worship Goddess Durga. “During Shardiya Navratri, devotees offer prayers to the Goddess with great devotion, presenting items such as betel leaves, coconut, and other offerings according to their heartfelt devotion. On the first day of Navratri, the first form of the Goddess, Shailputri, is worshipped,” a temple priest told IANS. Himachal Pradesh’s famous Shaktipeeth Naina Devi temple in Bilaspur district also saw large crowds. Navratri celebrations also began in Rajasthan, where hundreds visited Jodhpur’s Mehrangarh Fort to offer prayers at the Chamunda Mata Temple.