Bhubaneswar: People are in festive grip with the long battle between Goddess Durga and Mahishasura drawing to a close. Revelers flocked to the Durga Puja pandals and offered prayers to Mahishasuramardini – the slayer of the buffalo demon on Thursday with Mahanavami being celebrated across the state, the fourth day of Durga Puja.
Mahanavami (ninth lunar day) began with ‘Sandhi Puja’ after the Mahashtami formally ended on Wednesday afternoon.
According to Hindu mythology, the goddess had killed two demons Chando and Mundo at the confluence (sandhi). The undefeated divine force is worshiped with lotuses and offered her favourite food items on this day.
The goddess is also given a holy bath and honoured with 16 types of offerings to her. The day also witnesses Navami Havan, which is also called Chandi Homam.
Kanya puja is performed in states like Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, on this day. Nine girls, who have not attained puberty, are invited home and offered delicacies like puri, chana ka sabzi, kheer and halwa.
In Gujarat, Mahanavami is celebrated with ‘garba’ and ‘dandiya raas’ as other eight days of Navratri. Similarly, Suhasini Puja is performed in South India.
Bhubaneswar: A youth was critically injured reportedly in an armed attack by some miscreants in…
Lucknow: Imagine a man trying to kill his wife because she confided in him that she…
Kendrapada: Lightning strike during northwesterly killed two more persons including a woman in Odisha's Kendrapada district…
New Delhi: More than five weeks after being arrested by Enforcement Directorate, Arvind Kejriwal has not…
Bhubaneswar: With BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik taking the lead in kicking off…
Bengaluru: A consumer court here has ordered Swiggy to pay Rs 3,000 as compensation and…
Bhubaneswar: What is common between Nandan Nilekani, Kota Harinarayana, Narayana Murthy, Damodar Acharya, BK Syngal,…
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has proposed to AICC for nominating Sofia Firdous…