Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged the people to work towards furthering the empowerment of women and ensuring their dignity by taking forward the spirit of Navratra, as he participated in Dussehra festivities in the national capital.

He also urged people to take up the mission of not wasting food, conserving energy and water, and avoiding single-use plastic as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary. The Prime Minister was speaking at a Dussehra event organised by Dwarka Sri Ram Leela Society where giant effigies of Ravana and those of Kumbhakarna and Meghanad were burnt, signifying the triumph of good over evil.

At the event, Modi said in a country where goddesses are worshipped during Navratra, people should take the spirit forward by working towards furthering the empowerment of women as well as protecting their dignity.

Greeting people on the occasion, the Prime Minister said India is a land of festivals.

'Festivals are the life of our country. This Diwali we should felicitate our daughters who have achieved something or who have inspired others,' he said.

The Prime Minister also said that Air Force Day is being celebrated today and the country is phenomenally proud of the IAF.

Modi applied 'tilak' on the forehead of participants playing the role of Ram, Sita and Lakshman at the stage.

The 107-feet-effigy of the demon king Ravana and those of Kumbhakarna and Meghanad were prepared with green crackers, said chairman of the society, Rajesh Gehlot.