CM Himanta extends Durga Puja wishes on Shashthi
Synopsis
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma greeted citizens on Shashthi, the opening day of Durga Puja festivities, praying for Bharat's well-being as pandals across the region began their consecration rituals.
Key Takeaways
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma posted Durga Puja greetings on Shashthi, October 16, 2026 .
Shashthi marks the formal invitation of Maa Durga into her idol through sacred consecration mantras.
Sarma prayed for Bharat's well-being and extended wishes to all celebrating the festival.
Durga Puja is one of the most widely observed public festivals in Assam and eastern India.
Celebrations continue through Saptami, Ashtami, Navami, and conclude on Vijaya Dashami.
As the sacred mantras of Bodhon fill pandals across Assam and Bengal, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma marked the beginning of the Durga Puja festivities on Shashthi, Friday, October 16, with a prayer for Bharat's well-being and warm wishes for all celebrating the festival.
Shashthi — the sixth day of the Navaratri cycle — is the moment when the goddess is formally invited into her earthly home and life is breathed into the clay idols through the pranapratishtha (consecration) ritual. It marks the true emotional opening of Durga Puja, the point when public celebrations shift from preparation to devotion.
Sarma wrote: 'On the auspicious occasion of Shashthi, as we invite Maa Durga to her home and fill life to her idols through the sacred mantras, I pray to Devi Maa for Bharat's well being and wish everyone a Happy Durga Puja.'
Durga Puja is among Assam's most widely observed festivals, with community pandals, cultural programmes, and public processions running through Saptami, Ashtami, Navami, and culminating in Vijaya Dashami — the day of the goddess's symbolic departure.
Point of View
And Sarma's Shashthi message fits squarely within that pattern — combining personal piety with a broad national benediction. For a CM who governs a state where Durga Puja commands deep communal resonance across communities, the gesture carries both cultural and political weight. The prayer framed explicitly around 'Bharat's well-being' rather than Assam alone also reflects Sarma's positioning as a national-scale BJP voice, not merely a regional one.
NationPress
16 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Shashthi in Durga Puja?
Shashthi is the sixth day of the Navaratri calendar and the formal start of Durga Puja, when the goddess is ritually invited and her idol is consecrated through sacred mantras known as pranapratishtha.
Did Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma wish for Durga Puja 2026?
Yes. On October 16, 2026 — Shashthi — Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted Durga Puja greetings on X, praying to Maa Durga for Bharat's well-being.
How is Durga Puja celebrated in Assam?
Durga Puja in Assam features community pandals, cultural programmes, and public processions across the state, with the main celebrations spanning Shashthi through Vijaya Dashami.
When does Durga Puja end?
Durga Puja concludes on Vijaya Dashami, the tenth day, when the idol is immersed in water in a ritual symbolising the goddess's departure back to Kailash.
