Hyderabad: Chants of “Jai Shri Ram” rang out across Hyderabad on Thursday, April 2, as the city threw itself into the Hanuman Jayanti celebrations, with scores of devotees pouring onto the streets for the Veera Hanuman Vijaya Shobha Yatra. Saffron flags stretched as far as the eye could see, bikers rode in formation and DJ music thumped through some of the city’s busiest intersections.
Organised by the Telangana units of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the procession, centred around a massive idol of Lord Hanuman, drew at least 168 smaller processions that eventually merged into the main yatra.
The event was held under the watchful eye of the Hyderabad City Police.
From Narayanguda to Tadbund, a city-wide march
The route was nothing short of ambitious. The procession wound its way through Narayanguda, Chikkadpally, RTC Crossroads, Ashok Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Bansilalpet, City Light Hotel area, Subhash Road and the Ujjaini Mahankali Temple, before finally culminating at the Veeranjaneya Swamy Temple in Tadbund, Secunderabad.
In Old City, similar scenes played out near Charminar, where chants of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” filled the lanes.
When the music got too loud
For all the festive fervour, it wasn’t entirely without friction. At one Metro pillar, the DJ blared so loud that commuters and passersby were seen covering their ears.
This was despite Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar’s clear directive ahead of the event, warning against the use of DJ systems and loudspeakers along the route. It wasn’t the most subtle of violations.
Banners raised eyebrows
More troubling were some of the banners that appeared along the way. One carried the images of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi on one side, and Maratha icon Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on the other, an odd and uncomfortable pairing that drew sharp attention.
Another banner featured Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh, with a caption that read, “Vande Mataram gana hoga, warna yahan se jaana hoga. Nahi gaye toh, g***d phod ke bhagayenge (Chant Vande Mataram or leave, and if you don’t, you’ll be beaten and driven away).”
The slogan mirrored remarks Raja Singh had made at a Hindu Garjana rally in Madhya Pradesh, remarks that had already triggered widespread criticism.
Meanwhile, mosques en route to the procession, mainly in Charminar and Afzal Gunj, were covered with large white cloth to avoid any untoward incident. Nearly 3,000 police personnel were deployed to ensure a smooth conclusion.
Outside of these incidents, the procession remained largely peaceful, a reflection of both the scale of the policing and the genuine festive spirit that drove most of the participants out onto the streets.
