Shekhawat visits TV9 Bharatvarsh Durga pandal at Delhi stadium
Synopsis
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat visited the TV9 Bharatvarsh Durga puja pandal at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi during Navratri 2026, met TV9 Network CEO Barun Das and News Director Hemant Sharma, and called Durga worship a symbol of India's reverence for matri-shakti.
Key Takeaways
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat visited the TV9 Bharatvarsh Durga puja pandal at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, New Delhi on 19 October 2026 .
He described the visit as a sacred and spiritual experience and praised the channel's connection to Indian cultural values.
Shekhawat met TV9 Network CEO Barun Das and News Director Hemant Sharma at the event.
He called the worship of Goddess Durga a symbol of India's reverence for matri-shakti , courage, and capability.
The minister wished that the divine light of Navratri illuminate India throughout the year, guiding the country toward happiness, prosperity, and peace.
During the heart of Navratri 2026, Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat sought the blessings of Goddess Durga at a puja pandal established by Hindi news channel TV9 Bharatvarsh inside Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, New Delhi — a venue better known for sport than spirituality, briefly transformed into a site of devotion.
Shekhawat described the visit as a 'puneet-aadhyatmik anubhav' — a 'sacred and spiritual experience' — noting that the channel's cultural programming and its connection to Bharatiyata (the idea of Indian-ness) were naturally evident in the atmosphere of the pandal. During the visit he met Barun Das, CEO of TV9 Network, and Hemant Sharma, the network's News Director.
What the minister said about Maa Durga and Indian culture
Shekhawat framed the worship of Goddess Durga as far more than a seasonal ritual. 'The veneration of Maa Durga,' he wrote, 'is a symbol of our unshakeable reverence for matri-shakti — the power of the mother — as well as courage and capability in Indian culture.' He offered a benediction that the divine light of Navratri illuminate the country throughout the year, and that with the Goddess's grace, India continue to advance on the path of happiness, prosperity, and peace.
A minister, a media house, and a pandal at the stadium
Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, a multi-purpose venue in the heart of New Delhi, has long been a site for public gatherings well beyond athletics. TV9 Bharatvarsh, the Hindi news channel under the broader TV9 Network, organised the Durga puja pandal as part of the channel's cultural engagement — a gesture that signals how large media organisations in India increasingly participate in festival programming as a form of public identity-building.
Union ministers attending major Navratri and Durga Puja pandals has become a visible feature of public life, consistent with the Ministry of Culture's mandate to promote festivals as living expressions of Indian heritage. Such visits also align with tourism ministry efforts to showcase festival tourism as a pillar of domestic travel.
Point of View
Where major religious gatherings are positioned as soft-power assets. The choice of a media organisation's pandal, rather than a community or temple one, adds a layer of media-institution relationship-building that is worth noting. Together, these threads point to a deliberate strategy of embedding official cultural patronage inside the rhythms of popular religious life.
NationPress
19 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Gajendra Singh Shekhawat visit during Navratri 2026?
He visited the Durga puja pandal set up by TV9 Bharatvarsh at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi.
Who did Shekhawat meet at the TV9 Bharatvarsh pandal?
He met Barun Das, CEO of TV9 Network, and Hemant Sharma, News Director of TV9, during the visit.
What did Shekhawat say about the worship of Goddess Durga?
He said that the worship of Maa Durga symbolises India's unshakeable reverence for matri-shakti — the power of the mother — as well as courage and capability in Indian culture.
What is Major Dhyan Chand Stadium used for?
Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi is a multi-purpose sports venue that also hosts public events, exhibitions, and, during festivals, cultural gatherings such as puja pandals.
Why do Union ministers visit Durga Puja and Navratri pandals?
Senior ministers attend major festival pandals as part of public engagement with cultural traditions, which also aligns with the Ministry of Culture's mandate to promote Indian heritage and festival tourism.
