India, Nov. 17 -- Hundreds of women gathered at Vasudev Ghat in Kashmere Gate on Sunday morning and turned the riverbank into a wall of sound and resolve. Their collective recitation of the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram rose over the Yamuna's water, creating a scene that mixed devotion with a sharp political message. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, leading the event, said no force that threatens the city will ever break its spirit.

The Mahashakti Aradhana Programme, held on the historic ghat for the first time since Independence, drew families, devotees, government officials, and cultural groups.

It was organised by the Delhi Government's Department of Art, Culture and Languages through the Delhi Sanskrit Academy, along with the Vishwam...