Navratri and Durga Puja are finally here!
The nine nights and ten days of Navratri and Durga Puja began on Saturday. Although Kolkata is known for its grandiose at this time of the year, all of India is not lagging too far behind in gearing up for celebration.
From idols with a thousand hands to 'Kalash Yatra' to Vaishno Devi, here are some photographs from across India that encapsulate the beauty of the two festivals.
(With agency inputs)
1. Work-in-progress
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An artist works on an idol of Goddess Durga ahead of the Navratri festival in Ahmedabad. (Photo courtesy - PTI)
2. Hazaar Haath
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This idol of Ma Durga is being made for the Deshopriyo Park Sarbojonin Durgotsav, one of the major pandals in Kolkata. What sets this idol of the Goddess apart is her 1000 hands, as opposed to the usual 10. It is a must watch if you are in Kolkata during the time of Durga Puja. (Photo courtesy - PTI)
3. Devotees offer prayer
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Devotees offer prayers to pay obeisance to one's forefathers on the last day of Pitru Paksh - days for offering prayers to ancestors - when prayers are offered to past relatives in Mumbai.
According to Hindu mythology, this day is also called Mahalaya or the day when the gods created the 10-armed goddess of Shakti, Devi Durga, to destroy the demon king Asura who plotted to drive out the gods from their kingdom. The five-day period of worship of Durga, who is called the destroyer of evil, commences on October 7. (Photo courtesy - AFP)
4. Kalash Yatra
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Women perform Kalash Yatra to Vaisnovdevi Temple to mark the festival of Navratri in Surat. (Photo courtesy - PTI)
5. Artist gives final touches to clay idols
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An artist gives final touches to clay idols of Goddess Durga ahead of Durga puja festival in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal. (Photo courtesy - PTI)
6. A pandal in the making
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Artisans work on a giant model of the mythological demon Mahishasura on a pandal, or a temporary platform, during preparations for the Durga Puja festival in Kolkata. (Photo courtesy - Reuters)
7. Idols being transported on boats through Ganga
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Idol of Goddess Durga along with that of Saraswati, Lakshmi, Ganesh and Kartik are transported on boats through the waters of river Ganga to pandals, ahead of the Durga Puja festival in Kolkata. (Photo courtesy - Reuters)
8. Homecoming
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An idol of Durga being loaded onto a boat to transport it through the waters of river Ganga. (Photo courtesy - Reuters)
9. At Umiya Dham Temple
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Women practise the Gujarati dance 'garba' as they celebrate Navratri festival at Umiya Dham temple in Surat.
Garba is a traditional Gujarati folk dance and song which is performed mainly during the nine-day Navratri festival and is famous the world over. The folk dance is performed by everyone and people of different religious beliefs enjoy. (Photo courtesy - PTI)
10. Garba
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Participants dressed in traditional attire perform garba on the first day of Navratri festival in Ahmedabad. (Photo courtesy - PTI)
11. Tattoo on Indo-Pak unity makes an appearance
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An artist applies final touches to a tattoo sketched on the back of a woman depicting India and Pakistan flags in preparations for the upcoming Navratri, in Ahmedabad. (Photo courtesy - Reuters)
12. Potter town
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A woman decorates an earthen pitcher typically used during Garba, a folk dance, inside a workshop ahead of Navratri, in Ahmedabad. (Photo courtesy - Reuters)
