On the occasion of Navratri, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Goddess Durga with a garba that he wrote on Monday.
"It is the auspicious time of Navratri and people are celebrating in different ways, united by their devotion to Maa Durga. In this spirit of reverence and joy, here is #AavatiKalay, a Garba I wrote as a tribute to Her power and grace. May Her blessings always remain upon us," the Prime Minister said.
PM Modi also thanked Purva Mantri for singing the Garba.
"I thank Purva Mantri, a talented upcoming singer, for singing this Garba and presenting such a melodious rendition of it," he said on X.
Earlier on October 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings to fellow Indians on the first day of Navratri, wishing everyone an "auspicious" festival.
"I wish all my countrymen a very Happy Navratri. May this holy festival dedicated to Shakti Vandana prove to be auspicious for everyone. Jai Mata Di!" PM Modi wrote in a post on X.
"On the first day of Navratri, I pray to Maa Shailputri with folded hands! May everyone be blessed by her grace. This prayer to the Goddess is for all of you," he wrote on X.
Navratri, which translates to "nine nights" in Sanskrit, is a festival honouring Goddess Durga and her nine incarnations, or Navdurga. Throughout India, the festival is observed with tremendous devotion, with ceremonies and prayers honouring the goddess in all of her manifestations.
Though there are four Navratris observed by Hindus throughout the year, only two—Chaitra and Shardiya—are extensively observed because they fall in different seasons.
There are several ways to celebrate Navratri in India. North India hosts the Ramlila, a theatrical reenactment of incidents from the Ramayana, primarily in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. At Vijayadashami, the event comes to an end with the burning of King Ravana's effigies.
(With ANI Inputs)
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