9,999 girls worshipped at Mata Mahakali festival in Chandrapur; 42 newborn girls given silver coins

Kanya pujan, the ritual worship of girls, and a meal for them were held again this year during the Shri Mata Mahakali Mahotsav in Chandrapur. According to the organisers, 9,999 girls were worshipped. The festival is held on the initiative of MLA Kishor Jorgewar.

At the event, aarti of Mata Mahakali was performed by different communities. Silver coins were presented to 42 girls born during Navratri by the Shri Mata Mahakali Mahotsav Samiti, as a way of welcoming them. The initiative was meant to convey a message of keeping a positive outlook towards the birth of daughters.

A dandiya performance by the Gujarati community added colour to the celebrations. Performed to the beat of traditional dandiya, it created an atmosphere of enthusiasm at the festival. It also showed that, along with religious faith, the cultural traditions of different communities are finding a stage.

The Kabir Sanskriti Group presented jagran songs. Devotional songs were offered at the feet of Mata Mahakali, and the traditional religious songs gave the festival's cultural programmes a spiritual tone. Devotees who had come experienced the joy of devotion.

Kanya pujan holds special religious significance during Navratri. The tradition of worshipping a girl, seeing in her the form of the goddess, is observed with devotion. At the festival, 9,999 girls were worshipped and served a meal. Feelings of respect, reverence and honour towards girls were expressed. With the girls who had come for the worship and the meal, the festival venue was filled with joy and devotion.

Through the festival, held on the initiative of MLA Kishor Jorgewar, an effort is being made to preserve religious traditions and bring different sections of society together. The kanya pujan and meal is one of the main religious events of the festival. Held every year with great devotion, it conveys a message of respect for girls along with worship of the goddess. The event, which links religious tradition with social awareness, has become a hallmark of the festival.

It had also emerged that 15 organisations took part in the aarti, a detail linked to a separate programme of the festival. The whole undertaking conveyed a message of honouring women's power.