The build-up began at noon. By early evening, several pockets of Calcutta were painted in saffron.
Ram Navami celebrations were marked by a string of processions, some drawing a crowd of a few thousand. DJ consoles mounted on trucks played one song after another. Jai Shri Ram slogans erupted every second minute. Volunteers distributed refreshments. All under the watchful eyes of the police.
Here’s how Ram Navami unfolded in the city:
Chorus: Lord Ram is not an outsider: From an autorickshaw at the head of a Ram Navami procession in Salt Lake, a man kept asserting Lord Ram’s link with Bengal.
“Ram sought the blessings of Durga before his battle with Ravana. Durga Puja, during the time of Akal Bodhan (early invocation), is celebrated across Bengal. How can Ram be called an outsider in Bengal?” he asked.
Suranjan Basu Thakur, who dressed as Lakshman at a procession on Anwar Shah Road, harped on how Ram had killed Ravana (the evil) after worshipping Durga. “Ram had worshipped Durga before killing the evil,” he said.
The critics of the saffron ecosystem have said boisterous Ram Navami celebrations are not part of Bengal’s culture.
But from Burrabazar to Behala, the rallies showed that Ram had leaped from folklore into Bengal’s political lexicon.
“The Hindus are awakened. There’s nothing that can stop them now. In 2012, there were hardly a dozen big Ram Navami events. Today, there are at least 80 in Calcutta alone,” said Kamlesh Pandey of the Hindu Jagran Manch, one of the organisers of a rally at Ganesh Talkies in Burrabazar.
Let the music play: Most rallies did not care a hoot about noise levels. DJ consoles mounted on trucks played one song after another. Coming too close to the giant boxes made you dizzy.
Hindutva pop songs dominated the playlist. “Har ghar bhagwa chhayega, Ram Raj ab aayega (Every home will be covered in saffron, Ram’s rule is coming),” the DJ played at a rally from Wellington to Thanthania.
A sea of saffron flags with Ram and Hanuman imprinted on them was part of every rally. The marchers wore saffron headbands and badges.
The highlight of a procession in Salt Lake was a “mini Ashok Vatika” (where Sita was held captive by Ravana). The tableau was made of real tree branches.
Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman were also part of the rallies. In some, people decked as the gods sat on chariots. In some others, they walked along.
Trinamool rallies: The Trinamool Congress put its best foot forward, trying to prevent the BJP from eating all the Ram Navami cake.
The ruling party’s MLA from Jorasanko, Vivek Gupta, led one of the biggest rallies from a Hanuman temple in Raja Katra, Burrabazar, to Ram Mandir on CR Avenue.
“Ram is not anybody’s property. People worshipped Ram before the BJP was born,” Gupta told Metro.
“This is a procession of Ram bhakts. You will not hear provocative slogans or see any weapons,” said Gupta.
Trinamool workers from various parts of central Calcutta and Howrah came to the rally. Many wore a turban.
The North Kolkata Trinamool Youth Congress organised another rally from Thanthania to Swami Vivekananda’s birthplace at the intersection of Vivekananda Road and Bidhan Sarani. It was led by Kunal Ghosh, Trinamool state general secretary and spokesperson.
Picture perfect: As the Trinamool procession walked along MG Road, a group of people wearing skull caps showered flowers on the marchers and gave them water bottles.
The marchers greeted them back and hugs followed.
“This is our Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb (an inclusive culture),” said Muhammad Sultan Malik, who owns a garments shop on MG Road. He is part of a foundation that distributed the water bottles.
“Some people are saying all Hindus are brothers and must unite. We say that Hindus and Muslims are brothers and must unite,” said Vijay Sharma, who was walking in the procession.
Cop presence: Men and women in uniform and civvies led and tailed every single rally.
In Salt Lake, there were about 20 police personnel at the head of the rally and another similar contingent at the tail. The rally drew around 300 people, the police said.
At Burrabazar, where the rally had over 3,000 people, the number of cops went up several times. Some walked in the middle of the procession.
The cops kept one flank of KK Tagore Street open for traffic.
“The police have been very helpful,” said Chandra Sekhar, a local BJP leader in central Calcutta.