From the archive record
A havan is performed on Maha Ashtami during Durga Puja inside a decorated pandal in Chittaranjan Park, New Delhi. Priests chant mantras beside a brick-lined havan kund containing burning wood and ritual offerings. Devotees sit around the sacred fire, facing the altar as the ceremony takes place. At the back of the pandal, an illuminated stage displays Goddess Durga alongside other deities, including Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya. The ritual forms part of the religious observances associated with Maha Ashtami.