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Indian Diaspora in Singapore are celebrating the nine-day Hindu festival of Navratra with great joy and enthusiasm as the devotees were seen grooving to music beats in colourful ethnic attires during the Durga Puja celebrations.
Enthusiastic devotees taking the Indian culture overseas are an essential part of Singapore's cultural fabric. As they celebrate Durga Puja, several Indians spoke to ANI about their experience. In Singapore, a woman originally from Kolkata, said that they used to celebrate the Navratras and Durga Puja in Singapore for only one day but this year they got a chance to celebrate the festival for complete nine days. "I have been living here for the last 5 years and this time around there are beautiful pandals which bring a lot of joy to us." The close ties between India and Singapore are rooted in strong cultural and people-to-people links across a millennium. "The community comes together to celebrate the festival. We miss Kolkata for its Durga Puja celebrations but the mood is about the same here as well. We have also arranged for traditional delicacies," said the woman's husband. During the nine-day Navratri festival, devotees worship Maa Durga's nine incarnations in order to obtain her blessings. There is a goddess manifestation linked with each day of Navratri. During these nine days, people maintain ritualistic fasts, recite shlokas dedicated to each goddess, wear new clothing and clean their homes. In their prayers, they seek divine blessings for prosperous, joyous, and fulfilled lives. The festival of Navratri honours the defeat of the demonic Mahishasura and the triumph of good over evil. The 10th day of Sharad Navratri is celebrated as Dussehra or Vijaya Dashami. This year, Navratri started on September 26 and will conclude on October 5. (ANI)
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