Lucknow, Oct 16 (IANS) Starting from Friday, many temples in Uttar Pradesh dedicated to Goddess Durga are resonating with the ‘Durga Saptashati’ recitations and the worship of ‘Shakti’ (divine feminine power), in an effort to spread the message centered on the safety and dignity of women and girls.

Under the ‘Mission Shakti’ initiative, the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government has decided to organise cultural programmes in select temples from the seventh (Saptami) to the ninth (Navami) day of Sharadiya Navratri.

These events will feature the singing of traditional devotional songs dedicated to the Goddess, alongside recitations of the ‘Durga Saptashati’, on the last three days of Durga Puja.

Through these events, the tradition of worshipping ‘Shakti’ will be upheld, while raising awareness about the safety, dignity, and self-reliance of women and girls.

Speaking about the initiative, Minister of Tourism and Culture Jaiveer Singh said that Sharadiya Navratri is a festival of faith, ‘Shakti’, and cultural traditions.

“Our endeavour is to ensure that these religious events serve as a catalyst for social change, fostering awareness regarding the safety, dignity, and self-reliance of women and girls,” he added.

“These programmes will also provide local artists—especially women an opportunity to showcase their talent.”

Three local artists are expected to perform at each temple, providing many artists with an opportunity to showcase their talent. A significant number of these performers will be women.

According to available information, three local artists each will perform at Lucknow’s Chandrika Devi and Sankata Devi temples, three artists each will perform at Prayagraj’s Alopi Devi and Lalita Devi temples.

In the remaining 22 temples, three artists each will present their performances.

This initiative will not only promote traditional devotional songs and folk culture but also provide livelihood support to the artists.

Among the noted temples where three-day programmes of devotional singing and recitation of ‘Durga Saptashati’ recitations will be held at noted temples, including Maa Vindhyavasini Devi (Mirzapur), Vishalakshi Temple (Varanasi), Jwala Devi (Sonbhadra), Katyayani Devi (Mathura), Maa Shitala Chaukiya Dham (Jaunpur), Belha Devi (Pratapgarh), Mahalakshmi Devi Temple (Varanasi), Chamunda Devi Temple (Firozabad), among others.

–IANS

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