Katra (Jammu)

Adorned with thousands of multi-hued flowers, the holy shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi is all set to host pilgrims who will be visiting to offer prayers on the first day of Navratri.

As the nine-day Navratri festival commences today, the preparations for the same are in full swing across the nation.

During the nine-day Navratri festival, devotees worship Maa Durga's nine incarnations to obtain her blessings. There is a goddess manifestation linked with each day of Navratri.

During these nine days, people maintain ritualistic fasts, recite shlokas dedicated to each goddess, wear new clothing, offer bhog, and clean their homes. In their prayers, they ask the goddess for her favour to have prosperous, joyous, and fulfilled lives.

Over the next nine days, devotees offer their prayers to Goddess Durga and observe fasts. The festival of Navratri honours the defeat of the demonic Mahishasura and the triumph of good over evil. The 10th day of Sharad Navratri is celebrated as Dussehra or Vijaya Dashami.

Ramlila is organised extensively during Navratri in North India, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. During the Ramlila, the tale of Lord Ram's triumph over Ravana is acted out.

Numerous dances, including Garba and Dandiya Raas, are performed during the nine-day festival. While Dandiya Raas involves dancing with dandiya sticks to the beat of the music, Garba is a traditional dance in which participants clap their hands and move in a circle while making rhythmic gestures. The effigies of King Ravana are burned on Dussehra to commemorate the triumph of good over evil.

'Operation Ajay' was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring back around 18,000 Indians in Israel. Registration of Indians began on Thursday.

It has been more than a week after the attack that saw more than 1,300 Israelis killed, most of them civilians, as waves of Hamas terrorists breached the border. Over 1,000 Palestinians were also killed as a result of retaliatory strikes from Israel.

The Indian embassy in Israel is assisting Indian companies and has set up a helpline for Indian citizens in need of assistance.

The MEA had set up a 24-hour control room because of the escalating conflict. The control room will help monitor the situation and provide information and assistance.