Amit Shah's Double Celebration: Gujarati New Year Amid Birthday Festivities

Accompanied by traditional rituals and greetings for visitors, he will meet visitors at Royal Crescent Bungalows in Ahmedabad from 9 am to 10.30 am.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will also join Shah in public Diwali festivities, an occasion that also coincides with the Home Minister's birthday, adding a personal note to the celebrations.

Born in 1964, Shah, a key strategist of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's closest aides, has played a pivotal role in shaping the party's national rise.

On his birthday, party workers and supporters across Gujarat and India extend greetings through social service activities, blood donation camps, and cultural programs.

Meanwhile, in Gujarat, the Gujarati New Year, also known as Bestu Varas, is celebrated a day after Diwali and marks the beginning of the Vikram Samvat calendar, which is traditionally followed in the state.

The day symbolises renewal, prosperity, and new beginnings.

During his visit, Shah is likely to inaugurate the newly constructed MLA quarters in Sector-17, Gandhinagar, on October 23.

Built at a cost of Rs 220 crore, the project replaces the old legislators' housing complex and features 216 air-conditioned 4BHK flats across 12 towers, each rising nine storeys high.

The project, which began in 2021, spans an area of over 28,000 square metres.

Each residence is equipped with two master bedrooms, two additional rooms, a kitchen, dining area, waiting room, and an office space, along with a separate staff room. The complex also includes landscaped gardens, a community hall, an auditorium, a health club, a canteen, and recreation zones for children and senior citizens.

Officials said elaborate security and administrative arrangements are underway for the event, which falls on Bhai Bij, the final day of Diwali festivities, symbolising renewal and fraternity.

- IANS