Mon Oct 07 16:12:34 UTC 2024: ## Navratri Day 5: Devotees Celebrate Maa Skandamata, Goddess of Motherly Love

**New Delhi, India** – As the vibrant nine-day festival of Navratri continues, today marks the fifth day, dedicated to Maa Skandamata, the fierce and loving mother form of Goddess Durga. This day, October 7th, is a time for devotees to seek blessings from the goddess who symbolizes maternal love, power, and protection.

Maa Skandamata, depicted riding a lion and holding her son Skanda (also known as Lord Kartikeya) in her lap, is revered for bringing prosperity, salvation, and spiritual growth to her worshippers. Traditional practices for this day include early morning rituals, where devotees bathe, wear new clothes, and offer flowers, kumkum, ghee, incense sticks, and yellow flowers to the goddess. A special banana-based bhog is also prepared as an offering.

The auspicious Brahma Muhurat for worshipping Maa Skandamata today starts at 4:33 AM and ends at 5:21 AM.

Yellow, the color for Day 5, is believed to bring joy, prosperity, and happiness. Devotees are encouraged to wear yellow today to invite Maa Skandamata’s blessings for peace, prosperity, and salvation.

While India celebrates this spiritual occasion, the stock market continues its downward trend for the sixth consecutive day. Foreign investors are selling heavily, while domestic investors make record investments. Several factors, including fund flows, high valuations, geopolitical risks, and slowing economic growth, are affecting market sentiment.

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