People celebrate Durga Puja festival with grandeur and gaiety - In Pics

Ignoring occasional heavy rain, puja revellers on Monday on Maha Navami, jammed the streets leading to Kolkata's well-known puja pandals.

Kolkata: Ignoring occasional heavy rain, puja revellers on Monday on Maha Navami, the penultimate day of the four-day Durga Puja festival, jammed the streets leading to Kolkata's well-known puja pandals to keep the puja spirit on.

The main puja for Maha Navami, or ninth lunar day, began after the end of "Sandhi Puja" held at the confluence of Maha Ashtami (eighth lunar day) and Maha Navami at around Monday-Tuesday midnight.

More than 2,500 community puja organisers in Kolkata erected massive and beautifully-decorated marquees showcasing creative excellence, as per PTI.

Considered to be oldest community puja in the city with 89 years of celebration, Bagbazar Sarbojanin offered Kumari puja.

Kumari puja is common on Maha Astami but following their old tradition ritual Bagbazaar Sarbojonin offers Kumari puja on three days of the festival - Maha Saptami, Maha Astami and Maha Navami, a puja committee official said.

Following are some photos from around the country (Pic courtesy - ANI)

Unique Durga puja pandal in Kolkata made up of automobiles scraps and spare parts

Devotees throng the famous Mumba Devi Temple in Mumbai to attend 'Navmi' aarti

Over 35,000 devotees participated in 'Maha Aarti' in Surat

Bastar Dussehra celebration in Jagdalpur

Mysore palace lit up for Dussehra