Dr. Jitendra Singh seeks blessings at Ghaziabad Durga Puja pandal
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
On the auspicious occasion of Vijayadashami, Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh visited the Durga Puja pandal organised by Shri Shri Maa Durga Puja Trust at DLF Ankur Vihar, Ghaziabad on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, seeking the darshan and blessings of Maa Durga.
Joining him at the event were BJP MP and singer Manoj Tiwari, Trust and Mandal President (Loni area) Shri Prashant Thakur, and Shri Binod Bihari, lending the gathering a notable public presence.
Sharing the visit on X, Dr. Singh posted in Hindi: 'विजयादशमी का पर्व हमें सत्य की विजय, धर्म की स्थापना और अधर्म पर सदाचार की जी का संदेश देता है' — 'The festival of Vijayadashami carries the message of the victory of truth, the establishment of dharma, and the triumph of virtue over wrongdoing.' He concluded with a prayer that Maa Durga's grace continue to bless all, and that the nation be filled with happiness, peace, and prosperity.
Vijayadashami and the public-figure tradition
Vijayadashami — also widely observed as Dussehra — marks the culmination of the nine-night Navratri festival and commemorates the victory of good over evil in Hindu tradition. Central ministers and elected representatives across party lines routinely participate in local pandal visits and issue messages anchored in themes of dharma, making such appearances a standard fixture of India's annual political-cultural calendar.
Manoj Tiwari, a former Bhojpuri film actor and singer who represents North East Delhi in Parliament, has long maintained a visible presence at cultural and religious gatherings in the National Capital Region. Ghaziabad, located in western Uttar Pradesh within the NCR, sits adjacent to Delhi, making it a natural extension of the political circuit for Delhi-based central ministers.
Durga Puja celebrations in Ghaziabad draw large community participation, and the presence of senior public figures at pandals underscores the festival's dual role as both a devotional moment and a point of civic congregation.
As the echo of the dhak fades and the immersion rituals begin, the minister's message is a simple, familiar one — that every Vijayadashami is, above all, an annual reminder that virtue endures.