A woman applies tilak to a child following the mundan ritual at Shakti Peeth Alop Shankari Devi Temple, Prayagraj, on Ashtami — the eighth auspicious day of Navratri — on 18 October 2026. (Photo: NationPress)
A woman devotee carrying her child performs religious rituals at Shakti Peeth Alop Shankari Devi Temple in Prayagraj on Ashtami, the eighth day of Navratri, on 18 October 2026. (Photo: NationPress)
A devotee offers prayers before the deity at Shakti Peeth Alop Shankari Devi Temple in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on the occasion of Ashtami during the Navratri festival on 18 October 2026. (Photo: NationPress)
Devotees offer prayers at Shakti Peeth Alop Shankari Devi Temple in Prayagraj on Ashtami, one of the most spiritually significant days of the Navratri festival, on 18 October 2026. (Photo: NationPress)
Long queues of devotees lined up to offer prayers at Shakti Peeth Alop Shankari Devi Temple in Prayagraj on Ashtami, reflecting the high footfall on this eighth and auspicious day of Navratri on 18 October 2026. (Photo: NationPress)