New Delhi, Mar 26 (PTI) Decked up with colourful flowers and lights, temples across the country resonated with prayers while the streets came alive with vibrant processions as Ram Navami was celebrated with religious fervour on Thursday.
Special prayers and community feasts were organised in several states, with devotees thronging temples since early morning amid strong security arrangements put in place by authorities to prevent any untoward incident.
In different parts of the country, elaborate processions — referred to as shobha yatra — were taken out with devotees chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’, carrying saffron flags and participating in cultural performances on the occasion to celebrate the birth anniversary of Lord Ram.
In Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, considered to be the birthplace of Lord Ram, the main celebration will be held on Friday, with over a lakh devotees expected at the Ram Janmabhoomi temple.
Temple trust member Anil Mishra told PTI that the main attraction will be the Surya Tilak ceremony, during which sunrays will illuminate the forehead of Lord Ram’s idol at noon.
He said big screens have been installed across the city to broadcast the rituals and ceremonies associated with Ram Navami. Security and surveillance have been beefed up ahead of the Friday festivities, while the state government has announced a two-day holiday (Thursday and Friday) for the festival.
Temples in the twin holy towns of Varanasi and Mathura, as well as other cities, have been decked up.
In a display of communal harmony in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar, Muslims joined Hindus at the Raghunath Mandir, which hosted its first Ram Navami pooja in 36 years.
The century-old temple in the Habba Kadal area of the city came alive with prayers despite ongoing renovation work, drawing devotees from within and outside Jammu and Kashmir.
Special prayers were held at various temples in the city, including the Shankaracharya temple, to celebrate Ram Navami. Tourists and security forces joined the small local Hindu population in the festivities.
Similarly, in Rajasthan’s Jaipur, a large number of people participated in a grand procession marked by communal harmony as members of the Muslim community traditionally welcomed a shobha yatra in the Muslim-dominated Hasanpura area.
The local residents greeted devotees by showering rose and marigold petals, distributing water bottles, and even chanting “Jai Shri Ram”, with both men and women taking part in the welcome.
The procession featured elaborate tableaux showcasing Ram Darbar, Radha-Krishna, Bharat Mata, Rani Lakshmi Bai, Panch Pyaare, Maharana Pratap, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
In Gujarat, cities such as Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Vadodara witnessed vibrant displays of devotion. From colourful shobha yatras to innovative youth-led events, the streets in many cities came alive with religious chants, devotional songs, and community participation.
Adding to the festive fervour, the ISKCON temple in Ahmedabad hosted a grand celebration featuring ‘Sri Ram Darbar Abhishek’ and a traditional ’56 bhog’ offering in the morning.
Embracing innovative ways to celebrate, youngsters in Adalaj town in Gandhinagar organised a bhajan jamming event, where a fusion band blended traditional devotional music with contemporary sounds, according to an event booking website.
In Surat, a group of bikers travelled to Dabhari beach, where 65 motorcycles were carefully arranged to spell out ‘Ram’, symbolising devotion through a display of unity and passion.
In Goa, hundreds of devotees made a beeline for temples since early morning, including the Shree Ramnath Temple in Ponda taluka, South Goa, which was decorated with colourful flowers and lights.
At Shri Ram Devasthan Temple at Colvale in North Goa, devotees took part in the recitation of Ramayana, bhajan sessions and distribution of prasad. Special prayers were also held at Shree Damodar Temple, located at Comba locality in Margao, South Goa.
Despite the festive atmosphere, authorities in several states remained on high alert, particularly in areas that have witnessed tensions in previous years.
In poll-bound West Bengal, Ram Navami emerged as a political contest over Hindu symbolism, with the BJP foregrounding its Hindutva plank and the ruling TMC also celebrating the festival to prevent the saffron camp from monopolising the religious narrative during the high-stakes assembly election campaign.
Across Kolkata and several districts on Thursday, saffron flags fluttered, chants of “Jai Shri Ram” echoed through crowded streets, and hundreds of processions snaked through neighbourhoods, turning what was once a relatively limited celebration in Bengal into one of the most politically charged festivals in the state’s electoral calendar.
More than 60 rallies, big and small, were scheduled across the city alone, while similar processions were organised in districts such as Howrah, Hooghly, Birbhum and Uttar Dinajpur. Tight security arrangements were put in place, with thousands of police personnel deployed and central forces kept on standby in sensitive areas.
Adding to the tension is the memory of clashes that have occasionally marred Ram Navami processions in the state in past years, particularly in districts such as Howrah and Hooghly.
In neighbouring Jharkhand and Bihar, major celebrations are scheduled for Friday, with a large turnout of devotees expected.
In Jharkhand, police have deployed drones and quick response teams, and installed CCTV cameras in sensitive areas to monitor processions and prevent any untoward incident.
Shobha yatras will be taken out in most of the districts on Friday, while those in Hazaribag and Jamshedpur — both sensitive zones — are scheduled for Saturday, a senior police officer said.
In Bihar, BJP national president Nitin Nabin expressed hope that lakhs of devotees will participate in the festivities in the state. The leader informed that the Ram Navami committee has been holding annual celebrations, characterised by processions and tableaux, since 2010.
In the national capital, traffic movement in parts of central Delhi was affected in the evening due to a shobha yatra organised in the Paharganj area. Around 300 devotees participated in the procession, with police issuing advisories warning of congestion and urging commuters to take alternative routes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday extended greetings on Ram Navami, saying the ideals of Lord Ram will remain a guiding force not only for the people of India but for the entire humanity for all times to come. PTI TEAM RHL RHL
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