Patna: Vedic chants, shlokas and conch sounds marked the beginning of Durga Puja across Patna on Sunday, with devotees performing Kalash Sthapna and offering prayers to Maa Shailputri, the first form of Goddess Durga.At Badi Patan Devi Temple, a queue stretching nearly 500 metres formed as devotees arrived with flowers, coconuts and puja thalis. The three black-stone idols of Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati are worshipped alongside Bhairava. Head priest Vijay Shankar Giri said offerings included kheer, halwa and puwa on different days, while khichdi would be offered on Saturdays.Maa Vandevi Dham drew devotees seeking prosperity and well-being. Priest Hariom Mishra said faith in the deity had endured across generations and stressed equal access to religious places.Near Golghar, devotees gathered at Akhand Vindhyavasini Mandir, where the Akhand Jyot is traditionally believed to have remained lit for over a century. Naulakha Durga Mandir near New Secretariat also saw long queues. Devotee Swati Priya spoke of fasting, scripture recitation and bhajans. Organiser Vijay Kumar Yadav said 69-year-old Nageshwar Baba would observe a nine-day waterless fast while balancing 21 water-filled bronze pitchers on his chest.At Mahavir Mandir, 26 kalash were installed and 28 Durga Saptashati recitations held, secretary Sayan Kunal said.In Mokama, 151 young women joined a Kalash Yatra carrying Ganga water. Markets bustled with festival shopping, while families continued home rituals, including kalash installation and puja-room decoration, Kadamkuan resident Akansha Gupta said.
