As Navratri began in full swing, Ankita Lokhande gave fans a glimpse into her Navratri celebrations. On Saturday, the actor and Bigg Boss 17 contestant shared a video with her family as they celebrated the festival with kanya puja. To add a festive vibe, Ankita chose a devotional song as the background music for her Instagram Reels.  

Inside Ankita Lokhande's Navratri festivities

In her caption, she wrote, "Navaratri just got special! Choti choti mata rani ke sath yeh din aur khas ban gaya (With these young Goddesses, our day became all the more special)." 

The actor shared a glimpse of herself, husband Vicky Jain as well as their family members performing kanya puja. It is a Hindu ritual that is performed during Navratri. During the puja, prepubescent girls are worshipped as the divine form of Goddess Durga.

In the clip, Ankita is seen seeking blessing from the young children and serving them prasad of puri and other dishes as they sat in a line on the floor. She is also seen sharing sweet moments with the children during the puja. Apart from her interaction with the kids, the clip also features Vicky distributing ₹10 currency notes to the children as part of the rituals.

More about the festival

Navratri, which means 'nine nights' in Sanskrit, is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga and her nine avatars, known as Navdurga. Each Goddess is associated with specific offerings that hold spiritual significance, believed to invoke her blessings.

Hindus observe four Navratris throughout the year, but only two – Chaitra Navratri and Shardiya Navratri – are widely celebrated, as they coincide with the changing of the seasons.

In India, Navratri is celebrated in various ways. In North India, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh, the Ramlila, a dramatic re-enactment of scenes from the Ramayana, is organised. The festival concludes with Vijayadashami, also known as Dussehra, marked by the burning of King Ravana's effigies.

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