Massive turnout expected for Sri Rama Navami rally

Hyderabad: The annual Sri Rama Navami celebrations in Hyderabad are set to take place on a grand scale, with the shobha yatra expected to draw around five lakh devotees. Since its inception in 2010, the procession has grown into one of the largest in India for Rama Navami.

Addressing the media on Friday, the Bhagyanagar Sri Rama Navami Utsav Samiti detailed the event’s arrangements and schedule. It expressed dissatisfaction with the GHMC for failing to clear debris near the Sitarambagh temple, replace streetlights and resolve sewage issues

Meanwhile, the police inspected the procession route and assured the samiti members that proper security would be provided for those attending the event.

Dr Bhagwant Rao, president of the samiti, announced that the Kalyanam would be held on Sunday between 11 am and 12 noon, with Governor Jishnu Dev Varma in attendance. “The procession will commence at 1 pm from Sitarambagh temple. We urge all Hindu brothers to participate and make it a grand success,” he said.

This year, the event will also feature the presence of Ananth Shri Vibhushit Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami and Tripura’s Deputy Speaker Sri Ram Prasad Paul. Samiti general secretary Govind Rathi highlighted the event’s growing popularity, stating, “When we first organised the rally in 2010, we expected around 5,000 participants, but to our surprise, nearly a lakh people joined. This year, we anticipate close to five lakh devotees.”

He added that a delegation recently met the Governor to discuss the rally’s significance in uniting devotees. “The 300-year-old Sitarambagh temple, spread across ten acres, remains one of the city’s oldest temples,” he noted. The procession will begin at Sitarambagh Temple and pass through major areas of the city, concluding at Sultan Bazaar.