The devotional festival of Navratras began today with celebrations and prayers being observed across the country. Navratra celebrations are on at the Trikuta hillock in the world famous holy cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi in Jammu and Kashmir.

About 60 thousand devotees have paid their obeisance at the cave shrine on the first day of the Navratra till 1 pm today. Special prayers are on and the Shat Chandi Maha Yagya’ beginning today will extend up up to Vijay Dashami.

Whole of the shrine area including holy cave has been decorated with imported flowers. At the base camp Katra, the eight -day long Navaratra festival is also starting this afternoon that will include cultural programmes and religious discourses.

16th in the row, organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism department and the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, the festival that ends Oct 5 will be held at the shrine and its base camp at Katra.

Around 30,000 to 40,000 pilgrims are expected to converge at the shrine daily during the festival season. In other Durga Shrines of the region also a huge rush of devotees has been seen since early morning.