Places of worship opened in Nashik district of Maharashtra along with rest of the state on Thursday which also saw beginning of the nine-day-long Navratri festivities.

Navratri, the festival which celebrates Goddess Durga and her nine forms, began with ‘ghatasthapana’ amid religious fervour and enthusiasm.

Devotees thronged temples which opened after remaining shut for more than 6 months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Authorities have asked devotees to follow COVID-19 protocols while visiting the places of worship.

‘Ghatasthapana’ (placing an earthen pot and sowing seeds around it) was done in various households as well as in temples across the district.

People visited temples of Goddess Durga and other deities on the auspicious occasion.

Instead of the 10th day, Dussehra falls on the 9th day of Navratri on Friday, October 15 this year. Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal took darshan of Goddess Saptashringi at a temple and performed ”maha aarti’ at Saptashring Garh in the morning.

“I offered prayers to Goddess Saptashringi and requested her to remove the calamity of coronavirus from Maharashtra and across the nation,” Bhujbal said.

Later, he performed ‘maha aarti’ at a temple of Goddess Kalika in the city in the evening.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)