Thursday, 12 June 2025
Thursday, 12 June 2025
Devotees across the country marked Ram Navami on Sunday with temple visits, vibrant processions and chants of 'Jai Shri Ram', even as authorities maintained tight security in several communally sensitive regions.
In Ayodhya, thousands gathered at the newly built Ram temple to witness the ‘Surya Tilak’ — a ritual where the sun's rays fall precisely on the forehead of Balak Ram Lalla. Celebrations began early morning, with saffron-clad devotees carrying flags and tableaux from the Ramayana parading through cities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at the Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, and shared a post on X describing the “divine coincidence” of spotting the Ram Setu from his flight just as the Surya Tilak ritual was taking place.
“Prabhu Shri Ram is a uniting force for all of us,” he wrote.
In West Bengal, the festival bore political undertones as both the BJP and TMC held nearly 2,500 rallies. Suvendu Adhikari laid the foundation stone for a Ram temple in Nandigram, BJP MPs Sukanta Majumdar and Saumitra Khan joined processions in Howrah and Bankura respectively, while TMC leaders including Shaukat Molla also took part in rallies. VHP-organised rallies saw participation from councillors across party lines.
Drone surveillance, over 6,000 police personnel and intelligence alerts shaped the state’s security plan, amid apprehensions of unrest.
At Jadavpur University, ABVP members defied administration orders to conduct special prayers. Groups affiliated with the RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal also took out rallies in various states.
In a heartening gesture, Muslims in Malda’s English Bazar locality greeted passing VHP devotees with flower showers and refreshments. “This is India — unity in diversity,” said local shopkeeper Mohammad Ali.
In the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta led a procession in Khayala, calling saffron “the colour of the soil” and drawing a metaphorical “Laxman Rekha” against past politics of appeasement.
In Uttar Pradesh, CM Yogi Adityanath led rituals at the Gorakhnath Temple, including Kanya Pujan, and called for everyday gender equality. “Only when women are free from injustice can we realise the vision of an empowered India,” he said.
Elsewhere, devotees thronged temples in Varanasi, Lucknow, and Sambhal, where a 51-foot Ram statue became a major attraction. “It feels like he’s speaking to us,” said one devotee.
In Telangana, CM A Revanth Reddy performed rituals at the Bhadrachalam temple. In Hyderabad, BJP MLA Raja Singh led a peaceful Shobha Yatra under heavy police watch.
Union Minister and state BJP chief G Kishan Reddy marked the day in his native village near Hyderabad.
In Jharkhand, CM Hemant Soren and his wife Kalpana offered prayers in Ranchi, while security forces deployed drones, CCTV, bodycams, and 2,000 police personnel to manage crowds in key cities including Jamshedpur and Hazaribag.
“The life of Shri Ram is a message of love, discipline and sacrifice,” Soren said.
In Srinagar, children dressed as Ram, Lakshman and Sita added colour to the celebrations at Lal Chowk — a rare sight in the Valley.
From Rameswaram to Ranchi, Ayodhya to Hyderabad, Ram Navami was marked not just by devotion, but also by a determined bid by authorities to ensure peace in a festival that has increasingly found itself at the crossroads of faith and politics.
(With inputs from PTI)
