About 100 women performed shastra puja organised by Durga Vahini at Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) office on Sunday noon. Durga Vahini is a VHP outfit of women who are below 35 years of age. The participants included Durga Vahini and BJP women’s wing members, women active in social work, school and college students.
For past three years, the VHP outfit has been holding shastra puja on first Sunday that falls after Dussehra, the day on which performing puja of weapons is a Hindu tradition.
Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Durga Vahini convener Mala Thakur said shastra puja is aimed to motivate women to pick up arms to defend the country, religion and society if need arises. The outfit holds camp every summer to impart arms training to women to women. The participants are taught to ply swords, use rifles and daggers.