Hyderabad soaks in ‘Pran Pratishtha’ fervour

Hyderabad: ‘Jai Sri Ram’ slogans rent the air all through the day while Lord Rama bhakts in red, saffron, yellow, and white attire were enthusiastic participants at congregational live-streaming of the ‘Pran Prathishtha’ at Ayodhya and bike rallies with flags across the city, on Monday. The celebrations rivalled every other festival by a large margin.

All temples were decorated for the occasion, and anna prasadam and the bursting of firecrackers adding to the celebrations. The day was marked by a rendering of bhajans, and dancing to religious music by families and communities. At night, people light five lamps in front of each of their houses following a request by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a touching scene at Charminar, senior citizens took part in processions by chanting Lord Rama’s name and invoking divine blessings. Every household had rangolis at the entrance while children were on every street corner dressed in attire bearing Ramayan characters even as several educational institutions declared a holiday.

The social media was flooded with information and live content while most DPs had pictures of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Mega live streaming on an 80-feet screen was arranged at Nizam College grounds amid a temple-like atmosphere. It drew a massive crowd.

Governor Tamilasai Soundararajan and TS BJP president and Union minister G. Kishan Reddy took part in the puja. Bhajans and Ramlila ballets enthralled the gathering.

Banala Anil Kumar from Kavadiguda said, “We wanted to be a part of this event. I first heard of the temple in Ayodhya from my elders. I am fortunate to have participated in this live streaming.”

A. Veeraj from Ramnagar said, “We came to the venue in a large procession. I feel privileged to be a part of the crowd that had gathered for the historic event.”

In an interesting side event, the venue had an ‘Ayodhya Ram Mandir’ photo gallery with a depiction of the temple as it existed in 1528 on exhibit.

Ramu, one of the visitors, said, “This gallery gave us so much information and the struggle of all those who took the movement forward.”

As the day turned into night, many houses were lit up with earthen lamps and people started bursting firecrackers all across.

Meanwhile, anna prasadam distribution was held on the roads at distances of around 300 meters from one another.

The organiser of one anna prasadam centre said, "Such celebrations create a positive atmosphere in our neighbourhood. It's the time when we forget our differences and celebrate the cultural richness together.”

Deepa Desai, a resident of Kalyannagar, said, "Participating in the celebrations was our way of preserving and passing on our rich cultural legacy to the younger generation. It instils a sense of pride."

Ananya Verma, a student, said, "As a young member of the community, I found it inspiring. It's an opportunity to learn about our traditions and values while celebrating the momentous occasion with family and friends."