New Delhi:

With Navratri festivities drawing to a close, quick commerce firm Zepto co-founder and CEO Aadit Palicha took to LinkedIn to inform that the platform sold over 1 Lakh dandiya sticks during the season.

“What a day! Closing out Navratri 2024 with a grateful heart, seeing the beauty of India’s diversity through our users, sellers, brands, and every Zeptonian, who made it all happen. From essentials to festive picks, thank you for making us part of India’s celebrations across nine incredible days,” he wrote on LinkedIn.

Through graphics, he shared that the Mumbai-headquartered firm sold 1,00,000 plus dandiya sticks during the season.

He further said sales for fasting-friendly chips, Kattu and Rajgira atta, grew significantly compared to last year’s Navratri sales.

Mr Palicha also shared how Zepto’s dark stores indulged in Navratri festivities across the country.

In Coimbatore, Kochi, Chennai, and Bangalore, the stores celebrated Ayudha Puja, honouring tools and equipment. The Bhawanipore store in Kolkata embraced the lively essence of Durga Ashtami, while the Gota store in Ahmedabad kept the festive spirit alive with an energetic Garba event.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A day after Congress leader Digvijaya Singh slammed Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for organising ‘kanya puja’ at his home, the BJP leader hit back and said that the veteran has “stooped too low” by making a demeaning remark. 

Shivraj Singh Chauhan had organised ‘kanya puja’ at his home in Bhopal yesterday – the last day of Navratri.

While talking to reporters yesterday, Digvijay Singh called Mr Chouhan’s move “dramatic.” ” Let’s not talk about the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, I have not seen a person who is more dramatic than him.”

Lashing out at Digvijaya Singh, Mr Chouhan today said that those who call women “items” can not understand his gesture. “I worship daughters. I wash the feet of daughters and sisters. Digvijaya ji, you have stooped too low in your fight against the Sanatana Dharma,” he said on X – formerly known as Twitter.

He asked Congress Chief Mallikarun Kharge and former party president Sonia Gandhi to clarify their stand on ‘kany puja’. “I ask Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, are you against ‘kanya puja’. Please clarify your stand,” he said.

बेटियों की पूजा, सनातन संस्कार है।

कल पूरा देश बेटियों की पूजा कर रहा था, पाँव पखारे जा रहे थे, कन्या भोज कराये जा रहे थे और मैंने भी की; मैं प्रतिदिन बेटियों की पूजा करता हूँ।

मैं बहन, बेटियों के पाँव पखारकर उस जल को माथे से लगाता हूँ, जिसमें पवित्र भाव हो, भारतीय संस्कार… pic.twitter.com/tktqbCsHyu

— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) October 24, 2023

More than 300 girls were present for ‘kanya puja’ celebrations at Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s home yesterday.

“Today I am very happy that the girls have come here and we see goddesses in them. In Indian culture, the status of daughter, sister and woman has always been very high. Where the women are respected, God resides there.”

Mr Chouhan and his wife showered flower petals on girls, washed their feet and served food to them.

On the auspicious occasion of Navrati, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a new Garba song titled “Maadi“. The song, penned by PM Modi, is sung by Divya Kumar and is composed by the Meet Bros. He released the video of the same on YouTube and X, formerly Twitter. PM Modi said, “As the auspicious Navratri dawns upon us, I am delighted to share a Garba penned by me during the past week. Let the festive rhythms embrace everyone!” 

As the auspicious Navratri dawns upon us, I am delighted to share a Garba penned by me during the past week. Let the festive rhythms embrace everyone!

I thank @MeetBros, Divya Kumar for giving voice and music to this Garba.https://t.co/WqnlUFJTXm

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 15, 2023

He also thanked the singer and composer “for giving voice and music to this Garba.” The song is four minutes and 40 seconds long and is sung in Gujarati. The video shows people dressed in colourful attire heading to various garba venues to swing to the beats while some are also seen with dandiya. Notably, in one of the frames, the Statue of Unity located in Vadodara and dedicated to Sardar Vallabhai Patel, features in the background. 

On Saturday, a music video featuring a Garba song written by PM Modi was released. The 190-second song, titled “Garbo“, was authored by the Prime Minister several years ago. The song is sung by Dhvani Bhanushali and composed by Tanishk Bagchi. It was released under the banner of Jjust Music, a music label established by actor-producer Jackky Bhagnani. The song swiftly gained popularity online, amassing over a million views on YouTube within just six hours of its release.

The company posted the song on YouTube, describing it as “inspired by the poetic notes penned by none other than the one and only PM Narendra Modi. GARBO transports us to witness the dynamic culture of Gujarat during Navratri.”

Talking about “Maadi“, PM Modi said on Saturday, “I have not written for many years now, but I did manage to write a new Garba over the last few days, which I will share during Navratri,” PM Modi tweeted on X.

PM Modi also wished people on the first day of the festival today. “May mother Durga, who gives strength, brings to everyone’s life happiness, prosperity, good fortune and good health,” he said on the microblogging platform.