Durga Puja—the ceremonial worship of the mother goddess, is one of the most important festivals of Nepal & India. Apart from being a religious festival for the Hindus, it is also an occasion for reunion and rejuvenation, and a celebration of traditional culture and customs. While the rituals entail ten days of fast, feast and worship, the last four days—Saptami, Ashtami, Navami, and Dashami—are celebrated with much gaiety and grandeur in Nepal and abroad, especially in Terai Madhesh, where the ten-armed goddess riding the lion is worshipped with great passion and devotion.