Mahanavami celebrated, preparations for Dussehra celebrations in full swing

STATE TIMES NEWS

SRINAGAR: While Mahanavami was celebrated in Kashmir Valley with religious fervour and special prayers for peace and prosperity at a local temple here, preparations are in full swing for the Dussehra celebrations.
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.
Meanwhile, arrangements for Dussehra celebrations were being finalised in Srinagar on Monday as effigies of Ravana reached the valley, a day before they are set on fire for ‘Ravana Dahan’ at the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium to signify the victory of good over evil.
Sanjay Tickoo, one of the organisers, told PTI: “We are making preparations for the Dussehra to be held tomorrow (Tuesday). The effigies came from Jammu this morning. We are assembling them.” “This year, one effigy is 40 feet in height and the other two are 30 feet. They will be set on fire after sunset tomorrow,” he said.
Tickoo said after the festival was stopped after the eruption of militancy in the valley, the Kashmiri Pandit community here has been celebrating it since 2007.
“People come to witness this (Ravana Dahan). It is a mixed crowd consisting of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, most are Muslims. The festival is celebrated in a good manner. These statues are made by Muslims and then they reach us via Jammu,” he said.
Karan Veer Singh, an Uttar Pradesh resident engaged in Dussehra preparations in the city, said the material for Ravana Dahan was procured from Meerut and prepared at Jammu. It will be assembled by Tuesday evening, he said.
Nanna Ji, a local Pandit, said the community wants the victory of good over evil “in a real sense in Jammu and Kashmir”.
“People will assemble here. Many have come from Jammu, and Ravana will be set on fire. We want the victory of good over evil in Kashmir as well, and pray that peace be established,” he said.