Colourful start to 9-day Katra festival

Katra: Amid tight security arrangements, the nine-day-long Navratri Festival commenced on Wednesday with a ‘shobha yatra’ being taken out in Katra. The yatra was inaugurated by Jammu Divisional Commissioner Sanjeev Verma. In the colourful ‘shobha yatra’, comprising a large number of pilgrims from across the country and abroad, cultural troupes and tableaus were the highlight. “The festival has begun here. It is being organised annually for the past 25 years. Our aim is to showcase the cultural heritage and tourism sector of Jammu,” Verma said. Events such as devotional song competition, international wrestling contest and a laughter show are the upcoming highlights of the Navratri festival.OC