Nitish Kumar visits Sheetla Mata Mandir on 'Durga Ashtami'

Patna (Bihar) [India], October 13 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday visited Sheetla Mata Mandir here in Patna to offer prayers on the occasion of the eighth day of Navratri (Ashtami).
Addressing the media after offering his prayers in the temple, the chief minister expressed his happiness over getting a chance to visit the temple this year on Durga Ashtami after missing it last year due to Covid-19.
"I visit here every year on the occasion of Ashtami. Missed it last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic but I am happy that this year I got the opportunity to visit," stated Kumar.
The celebrations of Sharad (autumn) Navratri involve worshipping Goddess Durga and her nine forms. On the eighth day of Navratri, devotees across the country worship Goddess Mahagauri, the eighth avatar or form of Goddess Durga.
Shardiya Navratri begins from the first date of Shukla Paksha of Ashwin month, in which the divine forms of Maa Durga are worshipped for nine days.
However, this year Navratri, which started on October 7 and will end on October 14, will last only for eight days as Tritiya (third day) and Chaturthi (fourth day) coincided on October 9.