Patna: The spiritual heart of Bihar beat louder this Ram Navami, as the Mahavir Mandir in Patna opened its sanctum sanctorum to lakhs of devotees—and to countless others watching from afar via a special livestream.
From the quiet hours of Saturday evening, a steady stream of worshippers began to arrive at the temple, located near Patna Junction, culminating in a massive crowd that stretched far beyond the temple gates.
By 10pm, the queue had snaked its way to GPO Golambar, and by midnight, it had reached Veer Kunwar Singh Park. The temple authorities reported that by the end of the day, an estimated five lakh devotees are expected to have offered their prayers at the shrine.
The temple’s sanctum sanctorum was opened at 2.15am, an act that was met with thunderous chants of “Jai Siya Ram” and “Jai Hanuman”, reverberating across the temple premises. The aarti of Lord Ram and Hanuman was performed to the rhythmic beats of drums, imbuing the early hours with a sacred intensity. Following this, both idols of Hanuman Ji were worshipped with full Vedic rituals.
To ensure the sacred moments reach devotees across the globe, the temple is also livestreaming the Ram Navami worship, allowing people to participate in the spiritual celebrations from their homes.
According to temple superintendent K Sudhakaran, around 25,000 kilos of Naivedyam laddu have been prepared, with 13 counters set up outside the temple to distribute the prasad. Additionally, two lakh copies of the Hanuman Chalisa are being distributed free of cost among devotees.
Twelve priests from Ayodhya have been specially invited to conduct the elaborate rituals. Of them, four priests remain stationed near both Hanuman idols throughout the day to ensure uninterrupted prasad offerings.
The Ram Navami puja is scheduled for 12 noon on Sunday, followed by the ceremonial changing of temple flags. A Janma Aarti will be held at 1.30pm, in which several dignitaries, including Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, are expected to participate.
To manage the massive turnout and ensure smooth proceedings, a security force of 2,200 personnel has been deployed across the city.
