Mumbai: Siddhivinayak Temple To Organise Shobha Yatra In Celebration Of Ayodhya Ram Mandir Inauguration

As part of the celebrations to mark the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, the Siddhivinayak temple will organise a grand procession through the streets of Dadar and Prabhadevi on the day.

Details of the Shobha Yatra

The Shobha Yatra, which is expected to involve thousands of devotees, will travel along a route covering five temples in the area. Starting from Siddhivinayak temple at 3pm, the procession will stop at the Maruti (Hanuman) temple on SK Bole Road, Shankar (Shiva) and Vithal shrines on Sayani Road, and the Prabhadevi temple on New Prabhadevi Road. The procession will be back at the Siddhivinayak temple at 7pm for a Maha Aarti that will be followed by Mahaprasad at 8pm.

"It is a proud day for the Hindu community. The Ram temple’s inauguration is an occasion of joy and we want to join the celebrations," said Sadanand Sarvankar, chairman of the Siddhivinayak temple trust. "We are inviting Ganesha devotees to the celebrations and want to thank the people and organisations that made it possible to fulfil our dream of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya."

The procession will include cultural and religious programmes by devotees. The temple trust said that they hope the government declares January 22 as a public holiday. The Siddhivinayak temple, the city’s most visited Hindu temple, will be lit with lamps and electrical lights on the days leading to the temple inauguration.

Melodious Reception

On Wednesday afternoon, 25 flautists, including children, visually challenged persons and women artistes aged 8 to 80 years, led by flute maestro Vivek Sonar, rehearsed at the Selfie Point near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and the BMC headquarters for a two-day flute symphony dedicated to the devotional music of Lord Ram.

The programme, titled Flute Symphony 15th Bansuri Utsav, will have 90 flautists performing on January 20-21 at Dr Kashinath Ghanekar Auditorium in Thane. 

Replica in Bhayandar

For devotees who can’t travel to Ayodhya for now, a replica of the temple is being created at Jesal Park Chowpatty, Bhayandar East. The replica, which will be 80 feet tall and 65 feet wide, will be on display from January 22-28.