President Ali highlights need for self-reflection as he joined Navratri devotees at Alexander Village Mandir

His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali joined devotees at the Alexander Village Mandir in Georgetown, Sunday night for the eighth night of Navratri, an annual Hindu festival that spans nine nights.

While delivering brief remarks, President Ali expressed pleasure in joining devotees in a night of reflection on the virtues and teachings of Hinduism and most importantly,  self-reflection in today’s society.

“Because if we do a lot of self-reflection and we place ourselves in the entity or the problem or the situation of the one who is facing that problem or that entity that is being affected, then our own approach to the way we treat that entity, that person … would be very much different,” the head of state underscored.

The president underlined how Guyana’s multiethnic and diverse society has the ability to change the world’s view of humankind.

He questioned, “How do we use our society, how do we use the way we structure our society, how do we use the lessons of our society to reshape how the world views the human entity? ”

Religions such as Hinduism, President Ali highlighted, can play a role in this objective.

He also stressed the importance of sharing one’s knowledge to the younger generation and others.

“One of the important things in Hinduism is that we have to transfer knowledge. We have to pass down knowledge … and that is why these periods of fasting is important, because these periods of fasting are structured in a way spiritually.”

President Ali urged devotees to pray for their leaders, since they have played a role in keeping Hinduism alive.

Meanwhile, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, who accompanied the president, praised the executive of the mandir for its exceptional work in preserving the religion.

“When I look around the mandir I see some very young people and I know that this religious and spiritual legacy of ours will be handed down to them in even stronger fashion” he stated.

People come together during Navratri to celebrate Durga, the mother goddess.