Guwahati, Sept 29: On the sacred occasion of Maha Saptami, hundreds of devotees gathered at the Basistha Temple early Monday morning to collect holy water from the Basistha River, a key part of the traditional Nabapatrika rituals that mark the beginning of Durga Puja festivities.
Carrying brass and earthen pots, worshippers arrived before sunrise to perform the age-old ritual, believed to purify the environment and invoke divine blessings for the days ahead. The Nabapatrika, a symbolic representation of Goddess Durga’s nine forms, is bathed in the collected river water before being installed for worship.
Temple priests guided devotees through the ceremony, chanting mantras and explaining the significance of the practice, which ties closely to Assamese and Bengali Durga Puja traditions. The Basistha Temple, one of Guwahati’s most revered Shakti shrines, turned into a scene of devotion and serenity, as families, puja committees, and volunteers participated in the ritual together.
“It’s a sacred beginning to the Puja. We come every year to collect water from the temple’s holy stream — it’s believed to cleanse the mind and soul before invoking Maa Durga,” said a devotee present at the site.
The morning also saw increased activity around the temple area, with local residents assisting in maintaining cleanliness and traffic control, ensuring a peaceful start to the festive day.
Location: Basistha Temple, Guwahati
Occasion: Maha Saptami — Nabapatrika Snan (Bathing Ritual)
