Kathmandu: People in the nation are celebrating the eighth day of the ten-day-long Bada Dashain festival as Maha Ashtami by worshipping the Goddess Durga Bhawani.

On this day, people offer special prayers to the goddesses Mahakali, Mahalaxmi, and Maha Saraswati. This particular day of the Dashain festival is considered significant as it is believed that on this day the Goddess Durga gained her divine power.

On the occasion, people perform religious rituals at the Dashain Ghars and armories and offer worship to goddesses at various shrines by offering sacrifices of different animals.

The people also chant the mantras from Durga Saptashati, Shrimad Devi Bhagwat and Devi Stotra scriptures.

Devotees throng various goddess shrines in the Kathmandu Valley early in the morning to offer worship and make offerings of goats and ducks.