Jay Maa Durga Navratri Begins

Navratri, the festival of nights, lasts for 9 days with three days each devoted to worship of Ma Durga, the Goddess of Valor, Ma Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth and Ma Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge. During the nine days of Navratri, feasting and fasting take precedence over all normal daily activities amongst the Hindus. Evenings give rise to the religious dances in order to worhip Goddess Durga Maa.

1st - 3rd day of Navratri On the first day of the Navaratras, a small bed of mud is prepared in the puja room of the house and barley seeds are sown on it. On the tenth day, the shoots are about 3 - 5 inches in length. After the puja, these seedlings are pulled out and given to devotees as a blessing from god. These initial days are dedicated to Durga Maa, the Goddess of power and energy. Her various manifestations, Kumari, Parvati and Kali are all worshipped during these days. They represent the three different classes of womanhood that include the child, the young girl and the mature woman.

4th - 6th day of Navratri During these days, Lakshmi Maa, the Goddess of peace and prosperity is worshipped. On the fifth day which is known as Lalita Panchami, it is traditional, to gather and display all literature available in the house, light a lamp or 'diya' to invoke Saraswati Maa, the Goddess of knowledge and art.

7th - 8th day of Navratri These final days belong to Saraswati Maa who is worshipped to acquire the spiritual knowledge. This in turn will free us from all earthly bondage. But on the 8th day of this colourful festival, yagna (holy fire) is performed. Ghee (clarified butter), kheer (rice pudding) and sesame seeds form the holy offering to Goddess Durga Maa.

Mahanavami The festival of Navratri culminates in Mahanavami. On this day Kanya Puja is performed. Nine young girls representing the nine forms of Goddess Durga are worshiped. Their feet are washed as a mark of respect for the Goddess and then they are offered new clothes as gifts by the worshiper. This ritual is performed in most parts of the country.

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Atlantis Palm Hotel and Water Park Opens in Dubai

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Atlantis Palm Hotel and Water Park Opens in Dubai

Like everything else done to excess in Dubai, a hotel themed around the ancient myth of the lost ruins of Atlantis complete with flown-in dolphins from the South Pacific, a massive water park, and a top floor that houses a £13,000-a-night suite complete with gold-leaf 18-seat dining table is set to open today.

Photo EPA

Photo Daily Mail

The sprawling 113-acre Atlantis Palm Hotel with 1,373 rooms and 166 suites is hoping to defy the credit crisis and play a part in sustaining Dubai's tourist industry after regional oil profits have run dry.

Modeled on a sister site in the Bahamas, the £800million resort on the Palm Island is ocean-themed family entertainment with an enormous open-air tank with 65,000 fish, stingrays and other sea creatures. The resort uses a staggering 15 million gallons of water.

A featured dolphinarium with over 20 bottlenose dolphins flown in from the Solomon Islands was developed despite controversy from environmental groups and some residents of the islands that protested the decision to sell the dolphins, and the 30-hour plane flight to transport them to Dubai.

One of the dolphins flown in from the far-off Pacific. Photo Daily Mail

Guests can wander around a maze of tunnels beneath a lagoon stocked with over 250
species of fish including sharks, eels, rays and piranhas. Photo EPA

Photo EPA

The hotel also boasts a massive water park called Aquaventure with a 3,280 foot (700 meter) long beach and a river ride of over 1.25 miles (2 kilometers).

Aquaventure water park. Photo EPA

Aquaventure water park. Photo EPA

Photo Reuters

But developers seem undaunted by criticism from environmental activists, who claim the construction of artificial islands damages coral reefs and even shifts water currents, pointing at growing water and power consumption.

A swirling glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly graces one of the lobbies. Photo Daily Mail

Photo EPA

Even the corridors are lavish. Photo Daily Mail

The resort shares the island with rows of high-end houses and construction sites, but other international names are set to move in, including Donald Trump for the storied QE2 ocean liner which will become a hotel in the center of the palm and a tourist attraction docked alongside the island tree's 'trunk.'

A bedroom looks onto the giant aquarium. Photo Daily Mail

Bath with water cascading from high up in the ceiling. Photo Daily Mail

Or soak up the grandeur of the aquarium while you bathe. Photo Daily Mail

According to the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu firm, the Middle East had the highest hotel occupancy rates in the world during the first half of the year, with Dubai leading the area at 85.3%.

Dubai had the highest room rates in the region, but Deloitte noted that revenue growth is slowing.

Diners can watch the stunning sea life in the giant aquarium. Photo Daily Mail

A massive oven is the centerpiece of this restaurant area. Photo Daily Mail

A quiet, secluded dining room. Photo Daily Mail

Another dining area provides a dark ambiance. Photo Daily Mail

Entrance of Italian celebrity chef Giorgio Locatelli's restaurant at the hotel. Photo Daily Mail

Tourist photographs her husband sliding down the Leap of Faith chute.
Photo AFP / Getty Images

Atlantis is the brainchild of Sol Kerzner, the man behind Sun City. Photo EPA