PM Modi greets people on Navratri and Vikram Samvat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday greeted people on the occasion of the beginning of Navratri and also the traditional Indian new year, which is celebrated as different festivals in different parts of India.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday greeted people on the occasion of the beginning of Navratri and also the traditional Indian new year, which is celebrated as different festivals in different parts of India. "Happy Navratri to all countrymen. May this festival of the worship of Shakti infuse new energy in everyone's life," he tweeted.

May Vikram Samvat bring new enthusiasm and zeal to your life, he said in another tweet. Modi also extended his greetings on the occasion of Ugadi, Cheti Chand, Sajibu Cheiraoba, Navreh and Gudi Padwa; various festivals celebrated in different parts of the country to mark the traditional new year. As the Chaitra Navratri begins today, a large number of devotees flocked to Mata Vaishno Devi Temple in Katra, Jammu to offer prayers. Similar scenes were seen in Durga temples across the country. Devotees started queueing up in Delhi's Jhandewalan Temple, Durga Temple in Varanasi and Mumba Devi Temple in Mumbai.

Celebrated during the spring season, Chaitra Navratri or Vasant Navratri is considered to be an important nine-day celebration for Hindus. This year, the festival starts on April 2 and will end on April 11. The first day of Chaitra Navratri falls during the 'Shukla Paksha' of the moon which is the full moon phase. The rituals performed during the nine days in order to worship Goddess Durga, vary each day. It also marks the birthday of Lord Rama, which usually falls on the ninth day during the Navratri festivity, hence it is also known as Rama Navratri.

The festival is much like Maha Navratri, dedicated to the nine different forms of Goddess Durga, collectively known as Navdurga. Today also marks the Hindu new year according to the Vikram Samwat calendar.

with Agency inputs