Rons Bantwal

Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, Sep 27: The annual Sharannavaratri festival is being celebrated with traditional fervour at Sri Uma Maheshwari Temple, Jarimari, Kurla West. On Friday night, Durga Namaskara Puja was held in the sanctum where Sri Mahaganapati, Sri Subrahmanya, and Sri Uma Maheshwari Devi are enshrined.

The Navaratri festival commenced on Monday, September 22, and will continue till Thursday, October 2. Each day, various rituals are being performed at the temple. On Friday, the day’s programme included morning prayers, Swasti Punyaha, Ganayaga, Kalashabhisheka, Mahapuja in the afternoon, and in the evening bhajans, Mahapuja, and distribution of teertha-prasada.

The chief priest, V M Srinivas N Udupa, offered special pujas and aarti to Sri Uma Maheshwari Devi, blessing devotees with teertha-prasada. On the occasion, Durga Namaskara Puja and Lalitha Sahasranama Puja were also performed by V M Shankar Kalyanittaya, who invoked blessings upon the devotees. Lalitha B K Sheena, Sarita B Sheena, Nisha B Sheena, and Nikhitha B Sheena took part in the rituals. Assistant priests, purohits, several dignitaries, devotees, bhajana mandali, and bhakta mandali members were present. Assistant priest Rajesh Bhat conducted various pujas. Children from the Uma Maheshwari camp and the temple’s bhajana mandali rendered devotional songs.

Sri Uma Maheshwari Temple, founded under the trusteeship of religious leader, social worker, and entrepreneur B K Sheena of Kurla West, has been serving the community for 47 years. The temple continues its spiritual service under the leadership of founder-trustee Lalitha B K Sheena and chief priest S N Udupa.