Hyderabad: As Shobha Yatra crossed the city’s roads on Sunday, a wave of piety of “Jai Shri Ram” and an ode of “Jai Shri Ram” swept across Hyderabad.
Parades have been a tradition since 2010. Thousands of parades joined the parades of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hanuman” with flags of saffron and idols of Lord Rama, Hanuman and Chhatrapati Shivaji.
The parade of Bhagyanagar Sri Rama Navami Utsav Samiti begins at Seetharambagh Temple in Asifnagar. Governor Jishnu Dev Varma attended Sita Rama Kalyanam of the Temple and later announced Shobha Yatra with Tripura Deputy Speaker Ram Prasad Paul and organizers.
The parade begins at 1pm and ends at Hanuman Vyayam Shala in Ramkoti. Police, traffic and special protection forces personnel are deployed along the parade route to manage traffic transfers and ensure peaceful acts.
About 20,000 police officers were deployed for Yatra, and the entire route was monitored by City Police Commissioner CV Anand and senior officials until its conclusion. After checking the parade route in the morning, Anand provided instructions to the staff.
BJP MLA Raja Singh conducted a special Yagnam, leading another parade in Akashpuri Hanuman Temple in Mangalhat. The parade features a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji and his son Sambaji Maharaj.
Meetings were held along the route, with speeches from spiritual leaders and committee members. Devotees participated in singing Bhajans, dancing music
“Many young people and people joined and competed with us,” said K. Manjula, a member of Utsav Samiti.
Devote K. Saikumar from Mangalhat said he attended the event every year and he praised the arrangement.
Several people and associations distributed free water packs, buttermilk, soft drinks, food, snacks and other food items, bringing much needed relief to devotees involved in the hot calories.
At Begum Bazaar, Utsav Samiti president Baghwanth Rao said: “To protect Hindu Buddhism, we all have to unite. The competition for marching should not compete. If one group holds another, it should be followed.”
Both parades range from Ganga Bowli near Mangalhat to Karwan-Jummerat Bazaar Circle near Puranapool, and then head to Chudi Bazar via Jummerat Bazaar.
The parade took Chudi Bazar to Begum Bazar Chatri and went to Jama Masjid in Siddiamber Bazar. From there, it passes through the thin driveway of Gowliguda, leading to the Osmania Medical College in Koti. After arriving at Andhra Bank Circle in Koti, the parade heads to Ramkoti and ends at Hanuman Vyayamshala.
Temples throughout the city are filled with devotees when the priest performs the ceremony in the morning at Sita Rama Kalyanam (wedding) and Pallaki Seva (match) in the evening. Devotees also participated in the Annadanam (food donation) program and distributed free food.
