Mon Plaisir Road, Cunu­pia, was filled with mu­sic and colour last Sat­ur­day when the Shi­va Gana Or­ganisation cel­e­brat­ed the Hin­du New Year with a Grand Na­gar Ya­tra.

The vi­brant pro­ces­sion, led by Pun­dits Narindra Shi­va Janak and Mahin­dra Ma­haraj, in­clud­ed Ram­leela and Kr­ishn­leela dancers, and di­vine De­vi char­ac­ters, all cen­tered around tow­er­ing eight-foot mur­tis of Dur­ga Maa and Gan­ga Maa.

The Hin­du New Year, al­so known as Hin­du Nav Varsh, marks the first day of the lu­nar month of Chaitra, rec­og­nized as a time of new be­gin­nings, pros­per­i­ty, and spir­i­tu­al growth. It aligns with the Prati­pa­da Tithi of Chaitra Shuk­la Pak­sha in the Hin­du cal­en­dar.

This day al­so marks the start of Chaitra Navra­tri, a nine-night fes­ti­val ded­i­cat­ed to the wor­ship of the nine forms of God­dess Dur­ga.

Hin­dus around the world cel­e­brate Nav Varsh with great hap­pi­ness, sym­bol­is­ing new be­gin­nings. It al­so serves as an op­por­tu­ni­ty for re­flec­tion, grat­i­tude and as­pi­ra­tions for the days ahead.