As the first round of voting for the Indian Lok Sabha elections approaches, the state of West Bengal has witnessed another bout of violence. Tensions rose during a Ram Navami procession in Murshidabad, as people hurled stones and bombs. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has criticized the Mamata government for allowing such chaos to erupt during the election season.
With only one day left until the Lok Sabha elections begin, political parties in West Bengal have continued to engage in heated exchanges on social media platforms. In the midst of this, an incident of stone pelting at a Ram Navami procession has caused further tensions, with the Chief Minister accusing the BJP of instigating the violence. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has issued a message to party workers to fight against the RSS ideology.
The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) played a crucial role in the Surya Tilak Project at Ayodhya, aiming to bring sunlight onto the forehead of Sri Ram Lalla on Sri Ram Navami. With the English calendar date of the festival changing every year, the IIA team used their expertise in astronomy to determine the sun's position for 19 years. They also designed an optomechanical system to direct sunlight onto the idol's forehead, ensuring it receives light for about six minutes.
On the ninth day of Navratri, which is also Ram Navami, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath was seen performing the annual tradition of Kanya Pujan. He visited the Gorakhnath Temple in Gorakhpur and washed the feet of young girls, applied tilak on their forehead, and gifted them with red chunari. The heartwarming video of CM Yogi's interaction with the girls has been widely shared on social media, showcasing the significance of the festival and promoting the empowerment of women.
On the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami, leaders of the ruling Trinamul Congress and opposition BJP in West Bengal came together to attend religious processions and rallies, under tight security arrangements by the police. TMC supremo and chief minister Mamata Banerjee urged for peace in her festive greetings, while TMC and BJP candidates in various districts led processions without any violent incidents. However, the state BJP posted a video allegedly showing stone pelting in Murshidabad, raising concerns about security for Hindus in the area.
Members of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee performed traditional rituals as the log sawing began at the Forest Department's sawmill in Cuttack. This marks the start of "Katha Chirat" for the upcoming Ratha Yatra of Lord Jagannath, which takes place on the auspicious occasion of Shri Ram Navami. The logs will be used for the construction of chariots for the Holy Trinity and the process will continue daily from 6am to 9am. This has been a longstanding tradition and is an important part of the preparations for the Ratha Yatra.
Ahead of the Ram Navami celebrations, a retired IAS officer, Subramanian Lakshminarayanan and his wife Saraswathy, have donated their entire life's savings to the Ram Temple trust in Ayodhya for the creation of a golden Ramcharitmanas. Estimated to be worth Rs 5 crore, the 151 kg epic contains 10,902 verses coated with 24-carat gold and was crafted by Chennai-based Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers. This act of devotion from the retired bureaucrat has set the tone for the upcoming Navratri and Ram Navami celebrations in Ayodhya.
With several right-wing organisations planning to take out processions on Ram Navami across West Bengal, the police stations have been put on high alert and directed to monitor social media. The district administrations in several districts have also been alerted. While the Hindu Jagaran Manch has planned for big processions, the chief minister's nephew and Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee accused the BJP of trying to use religion for political gains. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Anjani Putra Sena have been given permission to conduct their processions in Howrah district.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee clashed over the celebration of Ram Navami and the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act in West Bengal. While Modi accused the TMC of opposing the Hindu festival and protecting infiltrators from Bangladesh and Rohingya, Banerjee warned against potential riots instigated by fake videos spreading on April 17, the day of the festival. The tensions between the two leaders reflect the ongoing power struggle leading up to the Lok Sabha elections in the state.
On April 21, 2024, the recently inaugurated Ayodhya Ram Mandir will be showered with a whopping 1, 11,111 kilograms of laddoos as prasad on the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami. The tradition of sending laddoos to various temples, including Tirupati Balaji and Kashi Vishwanath, will continue this year, thanks to the Devraha Hans Baba Trust. Amidst extended temple timings and a vibrant atmosphere, visitors can witness the celebratory shringar, abhishek, and mangala aarti, and even take part in bhog and shayan aarti before indulging in the delicious prasad.