On the most auspicious evening in the Hindu calendar's autumn arc, Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined Vijaya Dashami celebrations in Delhi on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 — a moment that unites millions as the symbolic victory of good over evil lights up the capital. Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared a live broadcast of the PM's participation, extending the celebration's reach to audiences far beyond the festival grounds.

What Vijaya Dashami means on the national stage

Vijaya Dashami, also widely known as Dussehra, marks the culmination of the Navratri period and commemorates the triumph of Lord Rama over the demon king Ravana. Across India, the festival is celebrated through Ramlila performances — dramatic retellings of the Ramayana — and the ceremonial burning of effigies symbolising the defeat of evil. In Delhi, several prominent grounds host large-scale events drawing thousands of devotees and cultural organisations every year.

Indian Prime Ministers have made participation in Delhi's Vijaya Dashami a long-standing tradition, treating the occasion as both a cultural duty and a public moment of shared national identity. The gesture underscores the government's emphasis on living heritage as a pillar of India's soft power and civilisational continuity.

Shekhawat's live broadcast and the Culture Ministry's reach

By amplifying the event through a live stream, Minister Shekhawat — the political custodian of India's cultural heritage portfolio — ensured that the PM's participation could be witnessed in real time by citizens across the country. The Culture Ministry has increasingly leaned on digital platforms to bring marquee national festivals to a pan-India audience, reflecting a broader shift in how the government communicates heritage engagement.

This is consistent with a pattern that has seen major festivals — from Kashi's Ganga Aarti to Ayodhya's Diwali Mahotsav — elevated to nationally broadcast events with ministerial and prime-ministerial participation. Vijaya Dashami in Delhi now firmly occupies that tier.

A festival moment with eyes already on Diwali

With Vijaya Dashami marking the traditional start of the festive season's final stretch, attention in the Culture Ministry will now turn to Diwali celebrations and any upcoming announcements on heritage events and cultural programming. The PM's visible presence at each major milestone reinforces the government's positioning of Indian civilisational festivals as living, nationally celebrated — not merely locally observed — occasions.

For a nation that sees its festivals as both spiritual anchors and expressions of unity, the Prime Minister lighting up Vijaya Dashami on a national live stream is not just ceremony. It is a statement.