New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday greeted all Indians on Durga Puja, hoping it inspires an equal participation of women in the task of nation-builiding.
“On the auspicious occasion of Durga Puja, I extend warm greetings and best wishes to all my fellow countrymen, in India and abroad.
“May this festival be an occasion for revival and rejuvenation. May it inspire us to tread the path of moral rectitude and build a society in which woman are respected as equal partners in the building of our nation. Let us pray to Goddess Durga that she guide us on the path of right conduct and service to our nation,” he said.
Touching on the importance of the festival, he said: “Durga Puja marks the victory of righteousness over evil and knowledge over ignorance. Goddess Durga is the mother of the Universe and personification of all virtues.”
Durga Puja is celebrated on the last two days of a nine-day long ‘Navratra’ festival, during which many people observe fasts. The festival is celebrated throughout India, but more enthusiastically in the north and east, especially West Bengal.
—IANS