Ahmedabad, September 26: The Gujarat government- organised Navratri festival will not be celebrated this year in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said on Saturday. However, the government has not yet clarified its stand on whether Navratri celebrations, marked by 'garba' dance, will be allowed to be organised by individuals. Also Read | Hathras Gangrape Case: 20-Year-Old Woman in Western UP Village Sexually Assaulted, Doctors Say Her Tongue Cut Too.

"The nine-day traditional state-level Navratri festival, organised by the state government every year will not be celebrated in the larger public interest due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic situation this year," a release quoted Chief Minister Vijay Rupani as saying. The festival was supposed to be held between October 17 and October 25. Also Read | Narendra Modi 4th Among World’s Most Admired Men of 2020, Sudha Murthy in List of 20 Most Admired Women: YouGov Rankings.

The government's decision comes at a time when the state has reported over 1.3 lakh confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 3,400 deaths.

The state-level garba function, held at GMDC Ground in Ahmedabad every year, was started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was chief minister of Gujarat. The PM had participated in the festival last year and performed 'aarti' at the GMDC ground.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)