Patna : The Mahavir Mandir in Patna will open its doors at 2am on Saturday, April 6, as preparations for an elaborate Ram Navami celebration gear up to receive an estimated 500,000 devotees. The temple will remain open for 22 hours to accommodate the expected crowds.
Vehicular access towards the temple will be restricted from 8pm on Friday until 11pm on Saturday, with exceptions made for emergency services. Security arrangements include CCTV surveillance, drone monitoring and the deployment of 800 volunteers and private security personnel. A free shuttle service will run between Dakbungalow and Veer Kunwar Singh Park to aid public transport.
The temple administration is increasing capacity on multiple fronts. Four priests – including those brought in from Ayodhya – will offer prasad, while 13 counters outside the temple will be set up to distribute Naivedyam laddus. The in-temple counter will remain closed on the day. If demand surges, additional counters may be introduced.
Crowd control measures include steel-pipe barricading – a shift from the previous bamboo structures – and the setting up of shaded pandals equipped with fans, water stations, sherbet dispensers and mobile toilets. Fourteen large LED screens have been installed to allow remote viewing of the rituals.
First aid stations with doctors and paramedical staff will be on standby, supported by five ambulances stationed near the temple. Fans and lighting have been installed along approach routes to offer some respite from the heat.
The highlight of the day will be the celebration of Lord Ram’s birth at noon, marked by a ceremonial “rain of flowers”, followed by the changing of temple flags, Janmotsav aarti and distribution of roti prasad. Devotees arriving in evening processions will be formally welcomed. Around two lakh copies of the Hanuman Chalisa will also be distributed.
Darshan timings will be regulated: from 9am to 11am, entry will be permitted only for those without prasad or garlands, via the eastern gate.
ISKCON Patna also prepares for grand observances
The nearby ISKCON Temple will open from 4:30am to 10pm, with a full day of religious activities planned. The deities of Lord Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman will receive a ceremonial maha-abhishek with Panchamrit (a sacred mixture of milk, honey, ghee, curd and sugar), accompanied by the chanting of Vedic mantras and the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.
Elaborate floral decorations and royal attire studded with jewels and gold will adorn the idols. A special Chhappan Bhog (56 dishes) will be prepared and distributed as maha-prasad. Sermons on the divine character of Lord Ram will be delivered by acharyas and sannyasis, and the temple will echo with the sound of conch shells and traditional drums.
