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Message: [QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 62290, member: 636"] Varanasi hosted 512 elaborately decorated Durga Puja pandals during Navratri celebrations this year, drawing large crowds from across the region. Several installations featured patriotic themes, with one pandal displaying a BrahMos missile replica and another constructed entirely from tricolor materials to honor armed forces personnel. The Sanatan Dharma Inter College pandal replicated the Khatu Shyam Temple design, while the Bathua Market installation mirrored the Chamundeshwari Devi Temple. Maha Saptami began on Sunday, marking the start of the festival's most significant phase when devotees observe the goddess battling the demon king Mahishasura. The celebration commemorates the triumph of good over evil and concludes on Vijaya Dashami with idol immersions. Tilak Raj Mishra from the Central Puja Committee confirmed extensive preparations for the festivities across the city. [/QUOTE]