ABPL organises Pre-Navratri zoom event

On the occasion of Navratri, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar hosted two exclusive Pre-Navratri zoom events 'Ma Adhya Shakti Aradhana,' bringing together members of the Gujarati community from the UK and India.
Kokila Patel, the Consulting Editor of Gujarat Samachar, hosted the event and extended warm wishes to all the attendees. She highlighted the significance of this special programme organised before the Navratri festival to honour the mother goddess. She said, “Adhya Shakti Jagadamba had valiantly battled the formidable demon Mahishasura for nine consecutive days, eventually defeating him on the tenth day, leading to Ma Jagadamba being known as Mahishasura Mardini. It's on this day that we celebrate Dussehra.” Additionally, drawing from the Ramayana, she shared how Lord Shri Rama engaged in a nine-day war against Ravana, ultimately vanquishing him on the tenth day, which we now celebrate as Dussehra, symbolising the victory of divine power.
“In contemporary times, the veneration of the mother goddess takes on diverse forms across all the states in India. In Gujarat, this celebration is marked by lively garba dances, solemn puja rituals, and heartfelt aartis. A notable contribution to this tradition is the beautiful composition by Gujarati poet Avinash Vyas, which lauds the glory of Ma Jagdamba”, she added.
Maya Deepak has travelled from Ahmedabad to London, bringing with her a plethora of captivating garba and aarti performances. Meena Trivedi has also graced us with her melodious voice, enriching our experience with the garba and aarti dedicated to Maa Amba.
The programme began with a strotam which was presented, Maya Deepak, followed by other Gujarati garba songs. Meena Trivedi sang amazing garba songs in both the zoom events. Apart from them, Vandana Somaiya also presented garba songs in the second series of this zoom event.
Jyotsna Shah, Consulting Editor of Gujarat Samachar, said, “Congratulations to each and every one of you on the occasion of Navratri. This festival is brimming with enthusiasm and a palpable divine energy, especially evident in the devotional singers who are extolling the various forms of Mataji.”
Sonu Malkani, Neema Suru, Kishorbhai, Vimla Patel, Muktaben, Hansaben Patel and several other from the audience participated with folk garba songs.
Pooja Raval, Business Development Manager of ABPL, said, “This journey wouldn't have been possible without the invaluable support of our readers and advertisers. Our readers have an enduring emotional connection with us. They continually provide us with valuable suggestions, and for the past six months, we have been reaching out to them through phone calls and letters, expressing our concern about rising costs of printing and mailing. In response to the guidance and recommendations from these readers, we will be implementing an adjustment in the pricing of Gujarat Samachar starting on November 1st, marking the first rate increase in six years.”
Mahesh Liloriya, Group Editor of Gujarat Samachar, provided an overview of the entire programme and highlighted how the devoted followers of Adhya Shakti had immersed everyone in a profound sense of devotion, making this day truly significant.  He said, “The collective participation gave the impression that Ma Amba herself had graced this platform. We all share a profound sentiment, and let's unite to celebrate Mataji's presence throughout the universe.”