Jamshedpur: A grand procession was taken out in the city on Wednesday to mark the beginning of the Hindu New Year [Vikram Samvat 2083].Organised jointly by the Hindu Utsav Samiti and Nav Varsh Yatra Samiti, the colourful procession was taken out from transport nagar ground in Dimna to Subhas maidan (Aam bagan) in Sakchi.The procession traversed through the main thoroughfares of Mango-Dimna road, Mango bus stand chowk, Maharana Pratap chowk, Bengal club road and converged at the Subhas maidan.The shoba yatra showcased the cultural diversity and varied aspects of Hindu mythology as imposing tableaus and cultural groups presented an enriching account of the Sanatana religion.Amid the beating of the drums and traditional musical instruments, the high-decibel chantings of Bharat Mata ki Jai, Jai Shri Ram, Jai Bajrang and Bajrang Bali ki Jai electrified the atmosphere.The devotional songs and the bhajans that were played by the organisers at the welcome gates imbued the atmosphere with religiosity.Further, the 11-foot-high idol of Lord Rama and the nine-foot-high idol of Lord Hanuman attracted the crowd, and so did the tableaus of Shiva pariwar and Ram darbar.The Aghori nritya performed by the cultural troupe was the main attraction of the procession as artists staged the dance to the beatings of the drum presented by a trained band party that arrived from Ramgarh.Draped in traditional saffron sarees, the group of 1000 women that led the procession from the front, along with scores of youths wearing saffron kurta pyjama and saffron turban and angavastram, gelled well with the mood of the programme.Waving saffron flags of varied sizes, hundreds of enthusiasts joined the procession on bikes and in cars.En route, plain water, lemon water, jaggery, sprouted gram, tea, biscuits, coffee and sharbat were offered to the procession crowd at the welcome points.On reaching the Subhas ground, mass prayers were organised and Mahaarti to the large-sized cutout of Bharat Mata was offered by the priests, and cultural events were held.Meanwhile, heavy security was deployed on the procession route to ensure there was no law-and-order problem.
