Patna: The city celebrated Ram Navami with full gusto with chants of Jai Sri Ram by residents who came out on the roads in huge numbers.

A large number of people with mammoth saffron flags thronged the stretch between Dakbungalow and Kotawali police station area to see the Shobha Yatra. A toran dwar (welcome gate) was erected in the 200m stretch.

The Shobha Yatra, the main attraction of the occasion, was the carried out by Sri Sri Ram Navami Shobha Yatra Abinandan Samiti headed by BJP Bankipore MLA Nitin Navin.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi were present during the yatra, as were Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and health minister Mangal Pandey.

Nitish waved at and welcomed the Shobha Yatra when it was crossing the Dakbungalow Road.

A total of 31 Ram Navami processions, which started from various parts of Patna, culminated at the Dakbungalow roundabout, where the main event was organised.

The district administration made elaborate arrangements for the festival. Patna district magistrate Kumar Ravi and Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Maharaaj visited Mahavir Mandir to check the security arrangements.

At Mahavir Mandir, people queued up from 10pm on Saturday. Such was the rush that the line stretched up to the Veer Kunwar Singh Park, which is around a kilometre from the temple.

The temple trust provided sharbat to all the devotees for whom it had deployed 250 security men from a private agency. The Patna police deployed 200 cops, including women constables.

Rajendra Nagar resident Saurabh Kumar joined the temple queue at 11pm on Saturday and got the opportunity to offer prayers after five hours. He, however, had no complaint.

"Every year I ensure that I take some time out to visit the temple on Ram Navami and it doesn't matter how much time I have to spend here. Last year, I stood for seven hours before reaching the main temple. This year, I spent less time. I feel blessed now," Saurabh said.

Mahavir Mandir Trust secretary Kishore Kunal said the footfall would touch 5 lakh by the time the temple closed at midnight.