Gumla: The Maha Navami festival was celebrated with devotion and religious fervour in Urmi, Armai and Dumardih villages of Jharkhand’s Gumla district. The Shri Shri Durga Puja Committee organised prayers to Goddess Durga, a havan and a traditional Kanya Puja ceremony, drawing large numbers of devotees from the surrounding areas.
The religious ceremonies were performed according to traditional rituals, with devotees praying to Goddess Bhagwati for peace, happiness, prosperity and well-being in the region. The puja premises remained immersed in a devotional atmosphere throughout the celebrations.
The highlight of the programme was the worship of 101 girls as part of the traditional Kanya Puja ritual. Considered manifestations of Goddess Durga, the girls were worshipped with reverence, and devotees sought their blessings.
Following the prayers, the committee organised a community feast, or bhandara, in which a large number of devotees participated and received prasad.
The celebrations also highlighted the spirit of social unity, mutual cooperation and harmony among villagers. The committee has been organising religious programmes during Navratri every year, continuing the local tradition of collective worship and community participation.
The event was successfully organised with the support of committee patrons Rameshwar Lal, Agnikant Sharma, Shashi Bhushan Bhagat, Ramkishan Jaiswal, Ravindra Sahu and Anil Prasad. Committee president Nirmal Singh, secretary Mithun Jaiswal and treasurer Anil Kumar Jaiswal also played key roles in the arrangements.
Other members present included Shashi Bhushan Prasad, Virendra Sahu, Naveen Jaiswal, Vikas Kumar Singh, Manoj Gupta, Saurabh Badhai, Deepak Nayak, Sudhanshu Prasad, Pramod Jaiswal, Nandkishore Prasad, Hemant Jaiswal, Shubham Prasad, Jaiprakash Sahu, Radheshyam Jaiswal, Narayan Oraon, Sunil Prasad and Ranjeet Jaiswal.
A large number of local residents, including women and men, also attended the celebrations and participated in the religious ceremonies.