CM Yogi Extends Shardiya Navratri Greetings to UP
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
As the sacred nine nights of the goddess begin, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath opened Shardiya Navratri 2026 with a devotional invocation and warm wishes to every devotee and resident of the state.
The Chief Minister's post opened with the classical Sanskrit shloka — 'ॐ जयन्ती मङ्गला काली भद्रकाली कपालिनी। दुर्गा क्षमा शिवा धात्री स्वाहा स्वधा नमोऽस्तु ते॥' — a time-honoured hymn saluting the many forms of the goddess: Jayanti, Mangala, Kali, Bhadrakali, Kapalini, Durga, Kshama, Shiva, Dhatri, Swaha, and Swadha. The verse is among the most widely recited during Navratri worship across the Hindi heartland.
Extending greetings on the 'pious festival of worship of Maa Bhagwati Jagdamba,' CM Yogi prayed that the goddess bless all with happiness, prosperity, good health, and good fortune. He closed with the traditional invocation 'Jai Mata Ki.'
Shardiya Navratri — the autumnal edition of the nine-night festival — is one of the most widely observed religious occasions in Uttar Pradesh, a state home to major Shakti shrines including the Vindhyavasini Devi temple in Mirzapur and the Sheetala Mata temple in Varanasi. Millions of devotees observe fasts, perform Durga puja, and participate in Kanya Pujan across the state's 75 districts during this period.
For CM Yogi — who heads the Gorakhnath Math, one of the most prominent Nath Sampraday monasteries in the country — such observances carry both spiritual and institutional weight. The Math itself maintains its own traditions of goddess worship during Navratri, and the Chief Minister's public greetings reflect that dual identity as both a religious figure and an elected head of government.
Navratri's cultural footprint in Uttar Pradesh extends well beyond temples: local administrations typically coordinate security and crowd management at major shrines, and the festival is a significant moment for artisans, priests, and small traders across the state. The Chief Minister's message lands at the very start of the festival, setting a tone of collective prayer and communal goodwill for the days ahead.