Hindu devotees are soaked in the festive spirit around the world amid the onset of the Chaitra Navratri festival, as scores of people worship Goddess Durga at their homes, or throng to the temples to seek blessings.
Lasting from Wednesday until the ninth day on 30th March, devotees celebrate by praying to the nine avatars of Goddess Shakti, keeping fast, and on the last day, observe the Ram Navami festival, which marks Lord Rama's birth anniversary.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to wish people well and offer prayers to Goddess Durga.
"Best wishes to all of you on Navratri. May this auspicious occasion of reverence and devotion illuminate the lives of the countrymen with happiness, wealth, and good fortune. Hail mother Goddess!" Modi tweeted.
Temples of Goddess Durga across India are witnessing a huge crowd as devotees line up in the queue to pray and offer flowers, fruits, light oil lamps, burn incense and chant mantras and sing devotional songs.
Celebrating the power of womanhood and victory of good over evil, the festival signifies the nine avatars of Goddess Shakti.
One Twitter user posted a video that talks about what makes the nine avatars of Goddess Shakti famous and how to worship them.