HYDERABAD: As the sacred echoes of the
Pran Pratishtha ceremony
resonated in
Ayodhya
, a symphony of celebrations unfolded in Hyderabad on Monday. Diverse social circles and individuals transformed the city into a canvas of jubilation, marking the grand inauguration of the Ram Mandir. From the glow of countless diyas to the rhythmic beats of kirtans, several parts of the city embraced the spirit of this occasion.
Communities set up big screens to live stream the event from Uttar Pradesh.
Multiple processions were also spotted in several areas of the city. At Mahendra Hills in Secunderabad, residents came together to participate in a day-long prayer session. “We started at 7 am and had close to 5,000 devotees,” said
Ghanshyam Agrawal
, secretary of the organising committee.
“We also organised ‘annadaanam’ (free meal) for 1,500 people. In the evening, we arranged for a ‘bhajan sandhya’ which was attended by 5,000 people,” added chairman of the organising committee, Subhash Goel.
On the other side of town at a gated community in Tellapur, residents recreated a part of the Ramayana.
“Around 700 families gathered to witness a small skit narrating the tale,” said Mukesh Savaliya, an IT professional living there.
Large screens even within some theatres took a break from the movies to telecast the consecration ceremony. Ashwin Shivraj, a 36-year-old businessman from Musarambagh shared his experience of being at one such screening. “It felt that we were present at the ceremony with 200 people chanting shlokas,” said Shivraj. In their individual capacities too many engaged in prayers, bhajans.
Neha Saboo, founder of a recruiting company, for instance, lit 10 dozen diyas in and around her house. “It’s more than celebrating Diwali for me. I put colourful Rangoli in front of my house and made bhog,” said the 40-year-old resident of Sindhi Colony.
Several commercial establishments were also seen decked up with floral arrangements and rangoli on the occasion.
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