With government restrictions on religious institutions still prevailing, the nine-day Navaratri festival also called as Sarada Navaratri, which is generally celebrated with pomp and devotion begins on October 17, will be celebrating this year on a simple note. However, temples and houses are still planning to celebrate within permitted limits to keep the tradition going. Housewives buy a few new dolls to add to existing ones. The temples gearing up to celebrate within the premises without involving the devotees.
The Sankara mattham, Matunga will be celebrating as Saradha Navaratri by keeping a small 4 ft idol of Durga, and performing poojas like Sadachandi Mahayagnam, Sri Chandi Navavrana pooja, Sapthasathi parayanam , Sri Lalitha Navavarana pooja and Moola manthra homam. The secretary of the mattham S.Sivasubramaniam said we are planning to show all poojas live through Face book.
Another nearby temple Sri Marubhai Gavdevi Mandir also planning to broadcast the night aarathi of the Devi through their Facebook said Mr Anil Gawand the chief trustee, who got stuck up in US due to COVID. The temple will also be performing other navaratri poojas like Durgastami, Mahalaxmi and Saraswati poojas besides different homams for the benefit of devotees. Their routine programmes like Gharba, Music and bhajans will be missing this year.
At Dharavi, Kumbarwada females are busy decorating the Durga idols and giving colours to small earthern pots for Garbha pooja.
