Whips, Navratri Fasting, Kanya Puja: Leaders Follow These Traditional Rituals & More | List

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday was seen in a video bearing the blows of a whip on his hand. The video he tweeted is from the Durg district, where CM Baghel joined a gathering on the occasion of “Gauri-Gaura Puja” and was severely beaten with a whip during a religious ritual.

“It is a popular belief that on the occasion of Gaura-Gauri Puja, suffering from the blows of the stone, averts evil and brings prosperity,” CM Baghel tweeted.

Leaders of several states, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all continue to follow certain rituals despite their schedules and public commitments. While Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath performs ‘kanya puja’ every year, PM Modi observes his annual Navratri fasting without fail.

Here is a list of leaders and the rituals they are known to follow:

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath during his two-day visit to UP’s Gorakhpur today performed ‘Kanya Pujan’ on the ninth day of Navratri at the Gorakhnath temple.

The UP CM was in Gorakhpur to take part in various Durga Puja events. After the ‘Kanya Pujan’, he also took part in the ‘Tilakotsav’ program of the Gorakshpeethadhishwar in the afternoon.

PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi observes a sacrosanct nine-day Navratri fasting despite public appearances and grueling schedule. PM Modi is a vegetarian and is fond of simple Gujarati food. He observes a nine-day fast during Navratri, an annual Hindu festival observed to worship the nine forms of the goddess Durga.

While fasting, the PM only chooses to eat fruit or fruit juice.

Modi once wrote on his blog that Navratri fasting is his annual self-purification exercise, which gives him the strength and ability to converse with Ambe Maa every night.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee played the dhak – a traditional drum-like instrument – at the inauguration of a community Durga Puja in Kolkata this year.

The chief minister inaugurated the Suruchi Sangha Puja Pandal with state minister and Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim, news agency ANI reported.

Banerjee also danced the dandiya, at a pandal in Chakraberia, Ballygunge, Kolkata, sportingly clicking the dance sticks together as others whirled around her.

TRS MLC Kavitha

Telangana Rashtra Samiti MLC Kavitha participated in Bathukamma festival celebrations held at a mini stadium, Metpalli. She played Bathukamma along with other women. Speaking to the gathering, Kavitha said that Bathukamma is the festival that is close to her hear. She also said that women in the state have started preserving the tradition of Bathukamma festival after the Telangana movement came into existence.

This year in September, Kavitha was formally invited to take part in the Bathukamma festival by the Australian parliament.

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