Jinja bursts into colour as Hindu community celebrates Navratri

The Hindu community in Jinja celebrated Navratri with colourful displays of devotion and culture at Shree Hindu Sabha (SDM Temple Jinja), attracting Indian diplomats, business leaders and local officials.

Navratri, meaning “nine nights” in Sanskrit, celebrates feminine divinity, revered as Shakti or Goddess Durga. The festival is widely celebrated worldwide, particularly in Gujarat, India, where communities perform Garba, a traditional dance recently inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Busoga Kingdom's Second Deputy Prime Minister Alhaji Osman Ahmed Noor (Left) being welcomed by Ranmal Keshwala (Right) and Piyush Kotecha (Middle) at the Navratri festival in Jinja.

The Jinja celebrations were attended by Yogendar Singh, Chargé d’Affaires at the Indian High Commission in Kampala; Mayur Madhvani, joint managing director of Madhvani Group; Haji Osman Ahmed Noor, Busoga Kingdom’s second deputy prime minister; and Abdulhafidh Nagaya, Jinja City mayor.

The men put up quite a spectacular performance. Photo by Donald Kirya

Others included Santosh Gumte, managing director of Kansai Plascon Uganda Ltd, accompanied by his wife; Paresh Bhai Mehta, chairman of the Indian Association Uganda; Minesh Patel, chairman of SDM Temple Jinja; and his vice-chairman, Piyush Kotecha