CM Fadnavis offers prayers at Nagpur Navratri fest
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
On the auspicious occasion of Navratri, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the Shri Patidar Samaj Navratri Mahotsav in Nagpur on Sunday, October 18, 2026, bowing at the feet of the Goddess and offering prayers for the welfare of all of Maharashtra.
Taking to X, Fadnavis wrote — 'बोलो अंबे माते की जय!' ('Hail Goddess Amba!') — before describing how he visited the festival and 'offered prayers at the feet of the Goddess for the well-being of all of Maharashtra.'
Nagpur's Patidar Samaj festival and what it represents
The Shri Patidar Samaj is a community organisation that hosts annual religious and cultural celebrations during the nine-night Navratri festival, which is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga and her divine forms. Nagpur, Maharashtra's winter capital and a city with deep political resonance, is home to a vibrant festival circuit during this season.
State leaders in India routinely attend such community-organised events during Navratri, combining cultural participation with a message of public prayer and solidarity. Fadnavis's Nagpur roots — the city has long been central to his political identity — make the visit a natural one, not simply a ceremonial stopover.
A CM's prayer for Maharashtra's welfare
The Chief Minister framed his appearance not as a political event but as a moment of devotion, explicitly stating that he prayed to the Goddess for the 'welfare of all of Maharashtra.' Such public gestures during major Hindu festivals are a consistent thread in how elected leaders in the state engage with cultural communities.
With Navratri festivities sweeping communities across Maharashtra's districts, Fadnavis's Nagpur visit signals the season's broader social calendar — one that typically sees ministers and officials present at celebrations from Mumbai to Vidarbha.
As the nine nights of Navratri continue, Maharashtra's devotees — and its political figures — remain firmly in step with the Goddess's season.