Mahanavami celebrated in Kashmir

Srinagar, Oct 23 (PTI) Mahanavami was celebrated in Kashmir Valley with religious fervour and special prayers for peace and prosperity at a local temple here.

Speaking to PTI, Mahant Ganesh Das, priest at the Hanuman temple in Hari Singh High Street, said, “Devotees pray, do havan, keep fast during the nine days of Navratra and Mata responds to the prayers. She blesses everyone. These nine days have a great significance.”

Prayers were held at the Hanuman temple situated on the banks of Jhelum on Monday to mark Mahanavami.

“We prayed for peace and calm in Kashmir, and that it is filled with tourists, that there is happiness, prosperity and brotherhood,” Das said.

“Mahanavami is being celebrated today (Monday). We prepare kheer. We pray. We undertake visarjan’ of the deity after nine days of fast,” a local devotee, Pyare Lal Pandita, said.

“We pray that the situation remains peaceful, and returns to how it was when there was brotherhood (between communities),” he said.

Celebrations were also held at Martand temple at Mattan in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. A large number of devotees thronged the temple for the prayers.

“Mahanavami is celebrated across the country. It used to be celebrated on a grand scale, but then because of the situation in Kashmir, it was stopped. However, in view of the improvement of the situation, we restarted celebrating it here in the last few years,” said Ashok Siddha, president of the management committee of the temple.

“People came here in good numbers for the prayers We want the same brotherhood which was here before 1990,” he said.

Another devotee, Ashwini Pandit, said, “We came here for prayers after the culmination of Navratra. Mata always blesses us, and we pray for everyone’s happiness and prosperity,” he said.