Jharkhand Armed Police personnel perform traditional worship of weapons on ‘Maha Navami’

Ranchi, Oct 1 (PTI) Personnel of the first battalion of the Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP), comprising mostly Gorkhas, on Wednesday worshipped weapons and offered gun salute to Goddess Durga here on ‘Maha Navami’, as part of a centuries-old tradition.

Weapons such as ‘kukri’ (knife), rifles and launchers were worshipped on the occasion of ‘Shastra Puja’, officials said.

The JAP personnel worship the goddess as ‘Navadurga’ for nine days.

“This is a big day for the JAP-1 Gorkha security forces and their family members. We worship weapons and pray to the goddess (‘Nau Kumari’) for the well-being of the security forces, wherever they are deployed on duty,” SSP Ranchi cum JAP-1 commandant Rakesh Ranjan said.

This tradition of worshipping weapons dates back to 1880, an official said. PTI RPS RBT