Kashi, September 30:
As Navaratri festivities continue across the nation with devotion and splendor, Maha Ashtami—the eighth and one of the most significant days of the nine-day celebration—was marked with religious fervor in the holy city of Kashi.
Devotees thronged temples and community pandals throughout the city to offer prayers to Maa Durga. One of the central venues of observance was the Bharat Sevashram Sangha in Kashi, where traditional rituals and Pushpanjali (floral offerings) were performed with deep reverence.
Among those participating in the celebrations was noted poet and researcher Sudip Chandra Halder, recipient of the Bharat Pratibha Samman. Halder took part in the sacred rituals and offered Pushpanjali along with hundreds of other devotees.
“Thousands have assembled here in devotion to offer Pushpanjali at the feet of the Divine Mother. Each flower represents a heartfelt prayer for peace, prosperity, and divine grace,” Halder said.
He also shared that he had offered personal prayers for the well-being of his family and would continue his spiritual observance with the recitation of the Durga Saptashati on Navami. On Vijaya Dashami, Halder plans to extend the spirit of the festival through charitable outreach to underprivileged communities—an initiative he said is inspired by the message of compassion and selflessness central to Durga Puja.
Concluding his visit, Halder extended warm wishes to devotees around the world:
“May this Navaratri and Sharadiya Durga Utsav bring joy, inner peace, and spiritual growth to all followers of Sanatan Hindu Dharma.”
The celebrations at Bharat Sevashram Sangha highlighted the enduring spirit of devotion, service, and community that defines Durga Puja in Kashi—one of Bharat’s most venerated cultural and spiritual hubs.
