Indore (Madhya Pradesh): An early morning procession known as ‘Prabhat Pheri’ of Ranjit Hanuman was taken out Monday. The procession marked the main event of four-day Ranjit Ashtami festival. This is the 134th year of the ‘Prabhat Pheri’. Due to the spread of coronavirus in the city and the mandatory social distancing protocols, the Prabhat Pheri route was changed after eight years and the procession wound through only wide roads. The route of the procession was also shortened and it did not pause for devotees this year to avoid any gatherings.
An ‘aarti’ of the Lord was performed at the Ranjit Hanuman temple at 5.10 in the morning. After grand decorations of Lord Hanuman, the idol was placed in a decorated chariot. The chariot was decorated with different varieties of flowers and lights. The morning procession started out from the temple at 5.30 am.
Thousands of devotees participated in this Prabhat Pheri. Lord Ranjit Hanuman’s Prabhat Pheri was taken out from the temple premises.
As in every year, the devotees were eager and reached early for the ‘Prabhat Pheri’ coming out of the temple. The ‘Prabhat Pheri’ was taken out with pomp and full enthusiasm on a bitterly cold morning.
Celebrating the festival, a large number of devotees gathered for a darshan of Lord Ranjit Hanuman in the procession and at the temple throughout the day. In Indore, a Diwali-like atmosphere was seen in the western region.
The procession started out from the temple courtyard and moved towards Mhow Naka and then Annapurna temple. From Annapurna temple, the procession headed towards Narendra Tiwari Marg and then back to Ranjit Hanuman temple.
Prior to the ‘Prabhat Pheri’ and celebrations, 51,000 ‘rakshasutras’ were invoked amid chanting of mantras.
The arrangements were handled by more than 350 devotees.
‘Many attended a live darshan’
‘Many devotees attended a live darshan of Prabhat Pheri through the Internet media instead of joining the yatra. This had been requested by the temple committee in advance citing Covid-19 protocols’
— Dipesh Vyas, chief priest of the temple
Breaking protocols
§ Despite the rising number of cases of coronavirus, many people were seen without masks and breaking precautionary protocols
§ Large groups of people, despite warnings, stood in gatherings and crowded the roads, jostling with each other for a better view
§ This negligence and action of careless behaviour could cause a further spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in the city.
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Published on: Tuesday, December 28, 2021, 08:43 AM IST
