Navratri 2017 day 1: Worship Maa Shailputri today

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The nine day festival of Navratri is dedicated to goddess Durga- the epitome of justice and destroyer of evil. Each day in Navratri, the different nine forms of Maa Durga are worshipped. 

The avatar of Maa Durga to be worshipped on day 1 of Navratri is- Maa Shailputri.

Shailputri, as the Sanskrit name states, is the daughter of the Mountains. First among the nine forms of Durga, Shailputri is worshipped as the absolute form of Mother Nature. During the festival of Navratra, the goddess is portrayed with a half-moon on her forehead, a trident in her right hand and a lotus in her left hand, and riding on the back of a bull. The first day of Navratra is marked for the worship of Shailputri.

वंदे वाद्द्रिछतलाभाय चंद्रार्धकृतशेखराम |
वृषारूढां शूलधरां शैलपुत्री यशस्विनीम्‌ ||

Vandē vāddrichatalābhāya candrārdhakr̥taśēkharāma |

vr̥ṣārūḍhāṁ śūladharāṁ śailaputrī yaśasvinīm‌ ||