Armed With Faith: Gorkha Soldiers' Unique Durga Puja In Jharkhand

Durga Puja of Jharkhand police is special in Ranchi. Gorkha soldiers worship Maa Shakti with great devotion. Mother is saluted by firing. This tradition of worship has been going on since 1880.

Ranchi (Jharkhand):As Navratri begins, the Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) personnel in Ranchi are geared for the special religious occasion, with Gorkha soldiers bringing a different fervour to their Shakti Puja. They start their festivities with the age-old tradition of installation of Kalash, displaying their devotion towards Maa Durga.

Firing Salute With Kalash Installation

From fighting Naxalites in Jharkhand to personal security, Gorkha soldiers are seen at the top in both cases. They are worshippers of Maa Shakti, which is why they take security matters at the top.

Like every year, this time also the Gorkha soldiers have started worshipping Maa Shakti with great enthusiasm and according to the Nepali tradition.

Women during Kalash installation (ETV Bharat)

On the day of Kalash Sthapana, the Maa Durga is saluted by firing, then on the day of Navami also, a salute is given by firing with 101 sacrifices.

On the day of Mahanavami, the Gorkha soldiers worship by placing their weapons at the feet of Maa Durga. They offer sacrifice at the feet of ‘the Mother.’ The tradition of worshipping weapons among the Gorkha soldiers has been going on since the time of the formation of this battalion.

They believe that their weapons should not betray them during the fight with the enemies and should work accurately, so they worship their weapons with great devotion in front of Maa Durga every Navami.

Tradition Of Navratri Puja Since 1880

The worship of Navratri in JAP started in 1880 by the then Gorkha Brigade. When Bihar came into existence in 1911, it came to be known as Bihar Military Police (BMP).

After the formation of Jharkhand, the name of BMP was changed to Jharkhand Armed Force. The tradition of worship here continues even today with Nepali customs.

Shakti Puja with Nepali Tradition (ETV Bharat)

In this worship, the environment is worshipped on Mahasaptami, which is called Phool Pati Shobha Yatra. In this yatra, nine trees are worshipped, and prayers are offered to the mother for the safety of the environment. During this, a gun salute is also given. Along with this, weapon worship and sacrifice are also organised on Mahanavami.

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