Maria Miller, MP for Basingstoke said, “I’m so grateful for the warm welcome I received at Carnival Hall where I joined local residents who are members of the Hindu faith to mark Sharada Navaratri. Our Hindu community play a central role in community life with a strong tradition of volunteering and supporting those in need.
Sharada Navaratri is the most celebrated of the four Navaratri, named after Sharada, which means autumn. The festival is celebrated for nine nights once every and typically falls in the Gregorian months of September and October.
Maria added, “Carnival Hall, where we met to celebrate, is about to mark its 60th anniversary; it was due to be demolished a decade ago when the Hindu Society took over its running and they have turned it back into a meeting hub for the whole community. “