BHUBANESWAR, OCT 21: Durga Puja fervour reached its peak on ‘Mahashtami’ across the State today with thousands of devotees thronging various temples and puja pandals to have a glimpse of Goddess Durga and offer their prayers. Special arrangements were made at temples and puja pandals to attract devotees.
The ‘Mahashtami’ rituals, which began early in the morning, would continue till midnight. On the occasion of Mahashtami, Goddess Durga would be invoked in various forms like Naba Shakti, Chamunda and Asta Kumari.
According to Hindu mythology, Goddess Durga, the slayer of the demon Mahishashur, is lion-borne and wields an array of arms in her 10 hands. It is also believed that during the Durga Puja festival, Goddess Durga, accompanied by Lord Ganesh, Lord Kartik, Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswati, descends on the earth and stays for four days to eradicate all evil from the earth.
