Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his wishes to the nation on the fifth day of the ongoing Chaitra Navratri festival on Saturday.
On the fifth day of Chaitra Navratri, known as Panchmi, devotees worship Goddess Skandmata.
“On this day of Navratri, devotees of the goddess worship Goddess Skandamata, the fifth form of Goddess Durga. I pray to the Goddess, the provider of consciousness, to always bestow her blessings on all my countrymen,” he stated in a post on social media platform X.
The nine-day festival, also called Rama Navratri, concludes on Rama Navami, the birthday of Lord Ram. Throughout Chaitra Navratri, individuals observe fasts and offer worship to the goddess Durga. They also conduct Ghatasthapana, the invocation of goddess Shakti, a crucial ritual observed during this period. Navratri additionally honors serenity and tranquility in the manifestation of Maha Gauri Mata.
This year, Chaitra Navratri commences on April 9, 2024, and concludes on April 17, 2024.
Throughout all nine days of Navratri, reverence is paid to the nine incarnations of the goddess ‘Shakti’.
The festival also signifies the commencement of the Hindu New Year according to the Luni-solar calendar. In Maharashtra, it is celebrated as Gudi Padwa, while Kashmiri Hindus observe it as Navreh.
The event indicates the beginning of warmer days and the spring season.