Gandhinagar: Sharadiya Navratri, a nine-night festival dedicated to devotion, strength, and worship, begins today, September 22, across Gujarat and all the locations wherever Gujaratis reside. This year the festival will span 10 days, concluding on October 1st, which coincides with both Aaso Sud Nom (the ninth day of Navratri) followed by Dussehra on 2nd October.

The Gujarat state government is once again organizing the Vibrant Navratri celebration at Gujarat University Ground near Helmet Char Rasta in Ahmedabad, with the inauguration taking place this evening. The use of loudspeakers and public address systems will be permitted until midnight. However, like every year people will continue playing Garba till 1.30 am to 2.00 am, and even after that without loudspeaker.

Navratri is so popular festival among Gujaratis that in the past, the Gujarat government had declared a Navratri vacation in schools by shortening the Diwali break, but this decision was reversed in later years.

At Ambaji Mandir in North Gujarat, Garba will be held separately for men and women, with women-only sessions in Chachar Chowk. Thousands of devotees have already gathered at Ashapura Mata Mandir in Kutch, with some arriving by bicycle from Mumbai as part of their annual pilgrimage. Large crowds are also thronging at Mahakali Temple in Pavagadh and other temples, all of which are prepared for the increased number of visitors. The temples of Chamunda(Chotila), Khodiyar(Bhavnagar) and others have already started witnessing rush.

Gujarat is known for its famous Shakti temples, including Chamunda in Chotila, Mahakali in Pavagadh, Amba in Ambaji, Bahuchar in Bechraji, Harsiddhi on Saurashtra coast, Umiya in Unjha, Bhadrakali in Ahmedabad and Ashapura in Kutch. Vadodara, considered the cultural capital of Gujarat and also the Garba capital of the world, will host hundreds of Garba events. In Saurashtra, well-known Garba gatherings will take place in Lathi, Amreli, Morbi, Jamnagar, and Junagadh.

IMD has predicted showers in parts of Gujarat in initial days of Navratri.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, like many devotees, observes a nine-day fast during Navratri.

In his 2012 blog post, the PM wrote: “Many of you will be fasting through these 9 days. I recall that during Teacher’s Day celebrations two years ago, a little girl had asked me about my fasting during Navratri. Yes, I have been fasting during Navratri for over 35 years now. This fast is never to seek anything but an act of self-purification. Fasts such as this have been a source of strength, power, and inspiration for me over the last many years.”

He also mentioned: “Navratri is central to the cultural identity of Gujaratis. Garba and Raas form a centuries-old tradition going back to the time of Lord Krishna — it is the cultural heritage of every Gujarati. In the coming days, if you go to any part of Gujarat, you will see people, be it young or old, dancing to the tunes of wonderful Gujarati folk music as part of the Navratri celebrations.”

“During Navratri, we bow our heads and seek the blessings of Jagat Janani Maa. While civilizations around the world have conceptualized the Almighty in the male form, ours is the only civilization that celebrates and venerates Shakti in the female form — be it Jagat Janani Maa Jagadamba, Maa Lakshmi, or Maa Saraswati among the many other Goddesses.”

“The popularity of our Garbas has transcended Gujarat’s shores — there are at least 500 cities around the world where this festival is celebrated with great pomp and show!”

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah is going to witness Garbas at three Navratri venues in his Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency on the first night of Navratri. Like every year, He will also visit his Kuldevi temple in Mansa town near Gandhinagar and perform Aarti.