An ambulance is stranded amid a sea of revellers who took over Main Road on Ram Navami . Pictures by Ashok Karan and Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, April 6: Scorching heat delayed the armed processions that took over the Main Road this afternoon to mark Ram Navami, but did little to curb the enthusiasm of people.

Power supply was cut off throughout the state capital in the afternoon, lest the oversized flags or oversized flag-staffs carried by processionists cause an accident.

It was restored later in the evening.

Swords, spears and lathis clashed in mock fights as the devotees danced down the streets and made their way to the popular temple at Doranda, Tapovan Mandir. Deafening beats of the drums, the banjo and the relentless music blared through loudspeakers combined to create a frenzy.

The music ranged from devotional ?bhajans? to the popular Nagpuri number, ?School ke tem (time) pe?Aana gori dem pe?, and the Hindi chartbuster ?Jhalak dikhla jaa?.

As in the past, the minority communities took an active part in ensuring communal harmony.

Indeed organisations like Anjuman Islamia, Edar-e-Sharia, Gurudwara Guru Singh Sabha and Urdu-Hindi Sangam, spent a minor fortune in greeting the ?devotees? with drinking water, and sometimes even cold drinks and snacks.

Different stalls put up by these minority groups distributed sherbet, gram, dry fruits, water and garlands liberally to the crowd gathered in hundreds. One does not recall as many organisations of the majority community reciprocating the gesture during festivals observed by the minority groups.

The Daily Market Shopkeepers Association, which has mostly Muslim members, were not only greeting the devotees but also had patriotic songs playing virtually non-stop, reminding people that ?Sare Jehan se Achcha, Hindustan Hamara, Hum Bulbulein Hain Iski, Yeh Gulistan Hamara?. The central Mahavir Mandal claims the armed processions here as a unique proposition. They are said to be coming out since the year 1929. Nowhere, except Chhotanagpur, are these processions seen, the members claimed.

Besides Ranchi, processions were seen at all the major thoroughfares across Jharkhand cities including Jamshedpur, Hazaribagh, Chaibasa, Lohardaga, Gumla and Chakradharpur.

The processionists carried flags of ?Lord Hanuman?, and while vehicles carried their cutouts, young children were seen enjoying themselves dressed up as little versions of the Hanuman.

They, along with the devotees, danced along the beautifully decorated floats. There were also theme-based tableaux and children acting out scenes from the epic Ramayan. A government holiday, shops and other establishments remained shut during the afternoon, a legacy of the past when the processions often ended up sparking off communal tension and even violence. Elaborate security arrangements had been made to prevent any untoward incidents, with armed police and the special task force (STF) deployed at all strategic points.

Senior superintendent of police Raj Kumar Mallick along with ADM (law and order) Paramjit Kaur, and other officials watched the proceedings from the usual watch tower put up near the Daily Market police station.

At Doranda, vendors thronged the vicinity of the temple, selling toys, fast food and balloons, as children had a field day.