Sun Mar 30 01:20:00 UTC 2025: ## Eight-Day Chaitra Navratri Begins with Auspicious Elephant Arrival
**NEW DELHI, March 30** – The eight-day Chaitra Navratri festival, dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga, commenced today, March 30th. This year’s festival is unique, with the arrival of the Goddess symbolically represented by an elephant, signifying a promising monsoon season. According to Hindu calendars, this auspicious arrival is attributed to the festival starting on a Sunday.
The Ghatasthapana (Kalash Sthapana), a crucial ritual involving the installation of a sacred pot, took place between 6:13 AM and 10:22 AM, with an auspicious Abhijit muhurta between 12:01 PM and 12:50 PM. Devotees performed the ceremony by planting barley seeds in a pot and placing it along with offerings of water, coins, mango leaves, and a Sriphal (fruit) in the Kalash.
The festival involves daily prayers to Goddess Durga, culminating in the worship of nine young girls (Kanya Puja) on the eighth or ninth day, followed by an aarti and the immersion of the Kalash. Prayers are believed to bring relief from suffering and hardship. Detailed instructions on the puja vidhi (rituals) were shared, including instructions on adorning the deity’s image and offering fruits and flowers.
The festival concludes with a final aarti on the last day of the Guप्त Navratri. The auspicious arrival of the Goddess on an elephant is considered a positive omen for the coming year.
First Piper 