CM Fadnavis joins Nagpur Navratri Garba and Ravan Dahan 2026
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Devotion, dance, and the crackling glow of Ravan Dahan — Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stepped into the heart of Nagpur's Navratri festivities on Saturday, 17 October 2026, attending the Nagpur Navratri Raas Garba 2026 and Ravan Dahan celebrations organised by Jhunjhar Nagrik Manch and Shri Mahalaxmi Jagdamba Sansthan, Koradi.
Fadnavis opened his post with a verse from the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram: 'न तातो न माता न बन्धुर्न दाता' — 'Neither father nor mother, neither kin nor benefactor, neither son nor daughter, neither servant nor husband; neither wife, nor knowledge, nor livelihood — you alone are my refuge, O Bhavani.' The ancient Sanskrit invocation set the devotional tone for his evening in the city.
Nagpur's twin celebrations: Garba and the burning of Ravan
Nagpur, Maharashtra's winter capital and Fadnavis's home constituency, hosts some of the state's most spirited Navratri events. The nine-night festival honouring Goddess Durga culminates here — as across India — in the symbolic burning of the effigy of Ravan, marking the victory of good over evil. This year's event brought together the Garba and Raas dance tradition alongside that Dussehra spectacle in a single evening programme.
Fadnavis thanked both organising bodies warmly in his post, writing 'मंडळाने प्रेमाने केलेल्या स्वागताबद्दल मंडळाचे खूप-खूप आभार' — 'Heartfelt thanks to the organisations for the warm welcome they extended.' Four photographs accompanied the post, capturing the CM's participation in the celebrations.
A recurring rhythm of faith and public life
For Maharashtra's chief ministers, Navratri appearances in Nagpur are a long-standing ritual of regional public life. Garba and Raas events draw tens of thousands of citizens, and a sitting CM's presence signals both personal devotion and civic solidarity. Fadnavis, whose political roots run deep in Nagpur, has consistently engaged with the city's festival calendar throughout his career.
With Navratri's remaining nights still to unfold, similar cultural gatherings are expected across other Maharashtra cities — each one a node in the state's vast festival landscape that political and community leaders alike have long made a point to honour.