Spiritual leader Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati addressed the Hindu New Year, commencing today from the first day of the Chaitra month in the Hindu calendar. He said, "This year we have made a resolution to declare cow as 'Rashtra Mata'. We will work towards making cow slaughter a punishable offence."
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Chaitra Navratri, occurring shortly after the Marathi New Year beginning on April 9th and concluding on April 17th, marks the auspicious occasion of RamNavami, the birth anniversary of Lord Ram, considered the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Observers of this festival typically engage in a nine-day fasting period, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil. A crucial ritual during Navratri is the Sandhi Puja, conducted at the juncture between the end of the Ashtami Tithi and the commencement of the Navami Tithi, commemorating the appearance of Devi Chamunda to vanquish the demons Chanda and Munda.