Vice-President Opens Navaratri Sargotsavam in Kozhikode

The Vice-President of India, C. P. Radhakrishnan, inaugurated Navaratri Sargotsavam 2026 at Kozhikode in Kerala on 16 October 2026. Speaking at the festival, he said India must keep its cultural inheritance intact while it moves ahead on the path of development, and he linked the two ideas to the Prime Minister formulation of Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi.

What he said about Navaratri

The Vice-President described Navaratri as a celebration of the divine feminine power of Adi Parashakti, which he called the eternal source of creation, strength, wisdom and compassion. The lasting message of the festival, he said, is that courage must overcome fear, righteousness must prevail over injustice and knowledge must drive out ignorance. Those values, in his words, keep guiding society towards a better future.

Unity in diverse traditions

Turning to the many forms the festival takes across the country, he said that despite differences of language, custom and worship, India stays united through a shared civilisational heritage. He called this the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat. Using the image of a banyan tree, he said that just as the tree draws strength from deep roots while spreading its branches, India traditions and values give the country stability, identity and continuity even as it takes up modernity and progress.

Book release and award

• Released the book Sangha Noottandile Akshara Mudrakal
• Presented the Sarga Kesari Award to P. R. Rajendran for his work in the fine arts
• Congratulated Kesari Weekly, the organiser, for its contribution to Malayalam journalism, democratic values and freedom of expression

Who was present

Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Governor of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, attended the function, as did C. Sadanandan Master, Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. Vidhu-bala, President of the Navaratri Sargotsavam Samiti, and A. K. Prasanth, its Working President, were also present along with other guests. The Vice-President said he hoped the festival would inspire young people, give artists encouragement and strengthen the work of preserving cultural heritage while innovation is welcomed. Praying for the blessings of the Goddesses, he expressed the hope that society would find the strength to fight injustice, share prosperity with those left behind, and turn knowledge towards building a compassionate order that looks after everyone.