Puri extends Vijayadashami greetings, invokes Ram's blessings
Synopsis
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri greeted all Indians on Vijayadashami 2026, calling the festival an inspiration to abandon vices and pursue nation-building and public welfare, and prayed to Lord Ram for happiness and prosperity for every citizen.
Key Takeaways
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri posted Vijayadashami greetings on 20 October 2026 .
He described the festival as the victory of dharma over adharma , truth over falsehood, and good over evil.
Puri invoked themes of nation-building ( rashtra nirman ) and public welfare ( lok kalyan ) in his message.
He offered a prayer to Lord Shri Ram for happiness, prosperity, good health, and joy for all citizens.
The post was accompanied by an image and carried the hashtags #Vijayadashami and #Dussehra .
On the auspicious morning of Vijayadashami 2026, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri extended heartfelt wishes to every Indian, invoking the festival's timeless message of righteousness triumphing over evil.
Posting in Hindi on Tuesday, 20 October, Puri wrote: 'Heartiest greetings to all countrymen on the sacred festival of Vijayadashami (Dussehra) — the victory of dharma over adharma, truth over falsehood, and good over evil.' He added that the celebration inspires citizens to shed all vices and walk the path of nation-building and public welfare, closing with a prayer to Lord Shri Ram that the festival bring happiness, prosperity, good health, and joy to every home.
Vijayadashami, celebrated on the tenth day of the Navratri cycle, commemorates Lord Ram's victory over the demon king Ravana — an event enshrined in the Ramayana as the definitive triumph of righteousness. Across India, the day is marked by the burning of effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna, and Meghnath, symbolising the public defeat of the vices they represent: arrogance, greed, and deceit. For millions of Indians, the festival is both a religious observance and a cultural reset — a collective reaffirmation of values.
For a senior BJP leader and former career diplomat like Puri, the choice of language is deliberate: weaving rashtra nirman (nation-building) and lok kalyan (public welfare) into a festival greeting frames civic duty as an extension of the festival's moral teaching — dharma in governance, not just in mythology.
Point of View
But Puri's framing is notably policy-adjacent — tying Vijayadashami's moral symbolism explicitly to nation-building and public welfare rather than confining it to personal piety. For a BJP leader, invoking dharma in a civic context reinforces the party's long-standing narrative of cultural nationalism as governance philosophy. The gesture carries no immediate policy consequence, but it is consistent with the broader pattern of the current government anchoring administrative messaging in Hindu festival symbolism. Observers will note how such messaging helps keep cultural identity and political brand tightly aligned ahead of any upcoming electoral cycle.
NationPress
20 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Hardeep Singh Puri say on Vijayadashami 2026?
Hardeep Singh Puri extended heartfelt Vijayadashami greetings to all Indians, describing the festival as a victory of good over evil and dharma over adharma, and prayed to Lord Ram for prosperity and good health for every citizen.
When is Vijayadashami 2026 celebrated?
Vijayadashami 2026 falls on Tuesday, 20 October 2026 , the tenth day of the Navratri cycle.
What is the significance of Vijayadashami?
Vijayadashami, also called Dussehra, commemorates Lord Ram's victory over the demon king Ravana and symbolises the triumph of righteousness, truth, and good over evil, arrogance, and falsehood.
Who is Hardeep Singh Puri?
Hardeep Singh Puri is India's Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, a senior BJP leader, and a former career diplomat who served in several senior roles including as India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
What themes did Puri highlight in his Dussehra message?
Beyond festival wishes, Puri highlighted nation-building ( rashtra nirman ) and public welfare ( lok kalyan ), framing Vijayadashami as an inspiration to shed vices and dedicate oneself to the country's progress.
