Ranchi/ Hazaribag (Jharkhand), Mar 30 (PTI) Ram Navami festival is being celebrated with religious fervour in Jharkhand on Thursday amid elaborate security arrangements including drone surveillance.
Saffron flags and banners depicting Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman were displayed in many parts of the state, while devotees sang bhajans, chanted mantras and read Ramcharitamanas and Hanuman Chalisa to commemorate the birth of Lord Rama.
The government beefed up security across Jharkhand, installing CCTV cameras at strategic locations and using drone cameras to keep a watch on the crowd, an official said.
Devotees thronged temples since morning to offer prayers while thousands of people representing different Akhadas (traditional gyms) took out processions with traditional weapons.
Members of the Akhadas marched from different corners of the state capital Ranchi to the famous Tapovan Mandir in Ranchi’s Nwaranpur, which was visited by Chief Minister Hemant Soren to pay his obeisance in the evening.
Soren said, “I prayed to God for all-round development of the state on this occasion. I also urge the devotees to celebrate the festival but avoid doing anything that hurts the spirit of it.” The chief minister said that the Tapovan temple will be renovated at Rs 14 crore soon.
Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan also extended best wishes to the people of Jharkhand on the occasion.
At Elbert Ekka Chowk in Ranchi’s Main Road, district administration put up a stage to monitor the processions of different Akhadas. Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar Sinha and senior superintendent of police Kishor Kaushal were also present there.
“Officials have been deputed here to keep an eye on the processions passing from this place. They have also been directed to maintain law and order,” Sinha said.
The SP said, “DSP rank officials were deployed at sensitive places. The Ranchi district has been divided into 10 zones and aerial survey is being done through drone cameras and more than 300 CCTVs.” Processions were also taken out by the devotees in other districts such as Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Giridih, Latehar, Godda, Gumla, Bokaro, Lohardaga, Hazaribag and Ramgarh. PTI SAN CORR SAN NN
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.