Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Visits Her Father's "Rakhi Sister" For Kanya Pujan

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited her father Rajiv Gandhi's “rakhi sister” for kanya pujan on Maha Ashtami, one of the most important days of the Durga Puja festival.  She said the visit brought back old memories. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as seen in the Instagram pictures, is surrounded by young girls, who were worshipped as part of the ritual on Wednesday. 

Filing in the details, she said that her grandfather and India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had brought the family from Jammu and the woman used to tie rakhi to her father Rajiv Gandhi and uncle Sanjay Gandhi. Indira Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi's grandmother, had arranged her aunt's wedding, she said captioning the post.

The woman's father used to work as a watchman but he died due to the coronavirus, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra added. The family told the Congress leader that this was the first time they were doing kanya pujan after his demise.

Kanya pujan is an important part of the Navratri festival. It is done on Maha Ashtami, or the eighth day of the 10-day festival. During the ceremony, nine young girls between the age of 2 and 10, representing the nine forms of Goddess Durga, are worshipped and offered bhog. Hindus believe that worshipping young girls as part of the puja vidhi makes Goddess Durga happy and she bestows her blessing on those who perform it. 

The Navratri festival, a celebration of the triumph of good over evil, concludes on Vijayadashmi.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra signed off the post with a Sanskrit shloka in honour of Maa Gauri, the eighth form of Goddess Durga. “I pray to the goddess who lives in every living thing in the form of Maa Gauri. Salutations, Salutations, Salutations to Thee, again, and again,” the shloka read.