Panchkula, Sept. 23 -- Nearly 40,000 devotees thronged the Mata Mansa Devi Temple on the first day of the sacred Ashwin Navratri on Monday, filling the shrine with devotion and festive energy as they sought the goddess's blessings.

Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, accompanied by his wife, joined the devotees in offering prayers for the peace, prosperity and well-being of the people of Haryana. The couple later participated in a Havan Yagya. Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria and his wife also paid obeisance at the shrine.

The temple has donned a resplendent look for the nine-day festival, with dazzling lights and vibrant decorations. From Singh Dwar to the sanctum sanctorum, the entire complex has been ill...