Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah marked Navratri 2026 with a series of religious and cultural engagements across Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar district in Gujarat on Friday, 16 October, capping the day with a raas garba performance at the Navratri Yuvak Mandal celebration in Kolvada village. Shah described the traditional dance as an embodiment of devotion to the Goddess and a marker of Gujarat's cultural identity.

Shah at the Garba Celebration

Sharing details of his participation on social media platform X, Shah wrote in Gujarati: 'Garba embodies devotion to Maa Shakti and the fragrance of the land of Gujarat.' The event at Kolvada — also spelt Kolwada — in Gandhinagar district was part of the Navratri Yuvak Mandal's annual raas garba programme, one of the many community gatherings held across the state during the nine-night festival. Garba, performed in a circle around a representation of the Goddess and combining devotional singing, rhythmic movement and clapping, is among Gujarat's most recognised cultural traditions. Raas, performed with decorated wooden sticks called dandiyas, is a closely related form that is equally central to Navratri observances.

Temple Visits and Blessings

Earlier in the day, Shah called on Jain spiritual leaders in Ahmedabad and sought their blessings. He then offered prayers at the Varadayini Mata temple in Rupal, Gandhinagar district, where he also laid the foundation stone for an 81-foot-tall statue of Lord Shiva — a significant infrastructure addition to the temple complex. The foundation-stone ceremony underlines the broader cultural investment accompanying the religious season.

Family Visit to Bahuchara Mata Temple

Later in the afternoon, Shah visited the Bahuchara Mata temple in Mansa with his family, participated in the aarti, and prayed for the well-being of people across Gujarat and the country, according to officials. The Bahuchara Mata temple in Mansa is one of the most revered shrines in Gujarat, drawing devotees in large numbers during Navratri.

Navratri's Significance in Gujarat

Navratri, the nine-night Hindu festival dedicated to the worship of the divine feminine, is celebrated with particular fervour in Gujarat. Community garba and raas performances fill temple grounds and open spaces every evening throughout the festival. The celebrations serve both as religious observances and as occasions for intergenerational cultural participation, making Gujarat's Navratri one of the most widely attended festival circuits in the country. Shah's engagements on 16 October reflect a pattern of senior political figures participating in the state's festive calendar — a tradition that carries cultural as well as political resonance in the state.