Durga Puja is being celebrated with traditional enthusiasm in many parts of the country. Today is Maha Navami. In Assam, various pandals have been set up reflecting contemporary issues including rhino poaching, women empowerment. Several Durga puja pandals have completed 400 years of celebration in the state. <br/><br/>In West Bengal, under privileged boys and girls from tea gardens of Darjeeling hills have been chosen to judge the Durgapuja Pandals in Kolkota. In Odisha, heavy rush of devotees was witnessed at all Puja Mandaps across the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack and other towns and rural areas as well. <br/><br/>President Pranab Mukherjee has called upon the people to take pledge for a cleanliness drive. Addressing a gathering at his ancestral place Kirnahar in Birbhum district of West Bengal yesterday, he said together people can clean this vast country and they must take pledge to follow the cleanliness measures. Mr Mukherjee is staying at his ancestral place in in Birbhum for Durga Puja celebrations.<br/><br/>In Assam, people irrespective of caste, creed and religion throng puja mandaps across the state including Guwahati on the occasion of Maha Navami. Electrifying decoration and designs of several Durga Puja pandals have drawn much attention of devotees. <br/><br/>Durga pandals at Beltola, Maligaon, Gita Nagar, and Pandu were among those that attracted huge crowd in Guwahati. The installation of 108 deities of Maa Durga at Khanapara also attracted huge crowd. Several Durga Puja committees have performed animal sacrifice today as per rituals. The emersion of Durga idols will begin tomorrow morning.

Durga Puja is being celebrated with traditional enthusiasm in many parts of the country. Today is Maha Navami. In Assam, various pandals have been set up reflecting contemporary issues including rhino poaching, women empowerment. Several Durga puja pandals have completed 400 years of celebration in the state. <br/><br/>In West Bengal, under privileged boys and girls from tea gardens of Darjeeling hills have been chosen to judge the Durgapuja Pandals in Kolkota. In Odisha, heavy rush of devotees was witnessed at all Puja Mandaps across the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack and other towns and rural areas as well. <br/><br/>President Pranab Mukherjee has called upon the people to take pledge for a cleanliness drive. Addressing a gathering at his ancestral place Kirnahar in Birbhum district of West Bengal yesterday, he said together people can clean this vast country and they must take pledge to follow the cleanliness measures. Mr Mukherjee is staying at his ancestral place in in Birbhum for Durga Puja celebrations.