Gandhinagar:
For two hours, he sat, his head bowed in prayer. His deities at this ceremony: guns, AK series rifles, swords, axes. Even a primitive club or two.
Narendra Modi's shastra puja threatens to launch him into a brand-new controversy. Shastra puja is usually performed on the last day of Navratra, known as Vijay Dashami. Modi's took place at his official residence in Gandhinagar. His security and senior police officers stood by, unarmed. Their guns were reportedly part of the puja.
Shastra puja is usually offered by those who traditionally carry weapons - soldiers, policemen, Rajputs. But Modi is a civilian and so some question whether it's appropriate. Those upset allegedly include senior National Security Guard personnel, who point out that at no point should their men be required to hand over their arms to anyone.