Thousands of devotees thronged temples across Odisha on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, the birthday of Lord Ram on Sunday. The devotees were filled in with enthusiasm as they got a chance to offer prayers on the special occasion without any restrictions.
It was after a gap of two years that no restrictions were clamped on darshan by devotees this year. The devotees were earlier not allowed inside religious institutions (for the last two years) owing to the Covid-19 pandemic situation.
Scenes at Ram mandir in Bhubaneswar were also no different. Devotees were seen standing in long queues outside the temple since early morning.
The temple reverberated with recitals of Ramcharitmanas and the devotees were allowed to have darshan of Lord Ram in queues to avoid crowding as the temple administration was expecting a footfall of over 25,000 devotees.
According to the Hindu calendar, Ram Navami is observed on Navami tithi (ninth day) during shukla paksha (bright phase) of the Hindu month of Chaitra. Ram Navami festival also marks the end of the nine days of the Navaratri festival, during which many devotees observe fast in reverence of Goddess Durga.
The devotees celebrate Shri Ram's birth anniversary by offering their prayers and performing pujas. People also seek blessings for the well-being of their family and friends.
In Bhadrak, special security arrangements were made for the Ram Navami celebrations. A 12-km Nagar Sankirtan was also planned with over 80 tableaus. Bhadrak SP Charan Singh Meena informed that around 40 platoons of force were deployed to maintain law and order.
International sand artist, Sudarsan Pattnaik created a special sand sculpture to commemorate the occasion. Patnaik sculpted an idol of Lord Ram along with a miniature of Ayodhya's Ram temple at Puri beach.
“Happy Ram Navami to the countrymen. May everyone get happiness, peace and prosperity in life by the grace of Lord Shri Ram,” tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Extending Ram Navami greetings, BJP National Vice-President Baijayant Panda prayed for happiness, prosperity and good health for all.