LUDHIANA, INDIA, April 2, 2001: Durga Ashtami was celebrated with religious fervor in the city yesterday, marking the end of Navaratri, “Nine Nights,” the year’s biggest festival in honor of the Goddess. On this day girls are worshiped as the manifestation of the Goddess. Beautifully dressed little girls in various residential colonies of the city flitted from house to house with plates in their hand since early morning as they were in great demand everywhere for worshipping. Many of these little goddesses really looked divine with colorful chunris, scarves, covering their heads. Besides worshipping and feeding the girls with halwa, puri and grams, people also gave them cash offerings.
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