Source: Leicester Mercury
LEICESTER, ENGLAND, October 4, 2002: Thousands of people will join the colorful celebrations next week marking the Hindu festival of Navaratri. The festival runs from Monday until October 15. The nine nights are dedicated to the three main Goddesses of Hinduism — Parvati, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Visitors will travel nationwide to join huge parties at De Montfort Hall and the Ramgarhia Community Center, in Ulverscroft Road. Maganbhai Patel, the president of Leicester Hindu Festival Council, said Leicester’s Navaratri festival is one of the best in the country. He said: “Leicester is a multicultural city with a strong Hindu community so people like to come here to celebrate. We have musical groups from India and our events are professionally arranged so that everybody is safe and happy.” Smaller celebrations are planned at the city’s temples, community centers and school halls where families and friends will dance and pray together.