Ponda, Apr 4 (TOI): Despite a ban imposed by the temple management on all sacred rituals, thousands of devotees of the Marcaim goddess Navdurga took out a procession of the palanquin, late Friday evening. The palanquin was simple, sans decoration and idol full of garlands.

While a matter pertaining to the replacement of the Marcaim goddess Navdurga idol is pending before the Ponda trial court, the managing committee had banned all temple rituals from March 28 onwards through a public notice published in newspapers on March 27, thus resulting in uncertainty over the palanquin procession.

Locals, under the banner or Shri Devi Navdurga Pratisthan, opposed the banning sacred rituals of the goddess in the temple. With the ban on the ritual, there.

Navami is a ninth day of each fortnight (Paksha) of Hindu calendar which is being celebrated at the Goddess Navdurga Temple of Marcaim and as a part of celebration, a palanquin procession of the deity is taken out courtyard.

"The ban, however, could not break the age old tradition of navami palanquin procession, but the goddess idol had no jewelry and palanquin had no decorations, this time as the managing committee had locked the jewelry and decorative items of the palanquin", said a local follower.

Thousands of people had participated in the palanquin process with full fervor and joy. Locals took out the procession with chanting of shlokas and mantras by the temple priests.