Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The eve of Hanuman Janmotsav witnessed an extraordinary wave of devotion as thousands of devotees participated in the grand Prabhat Pheri of Veer Alija Sarkar, transforming the western and central parts of the city into a sea of faith and celebration.
With chants of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hanuman” echoing through the streets, the early morning procession created an electrifying spiritual atmosphere that lasted for several hours.
The sacred procession began at around 5.30 am from the Veer Bagichi temple premises, where temple head Gadipati Pawanand Maharaj ceremonially brought the 60 kg golden idol of Alija Sarkar to a beautifully decorated silver chariot.
Thousands of devotees gathered to witness the auspicious moment as the procession began its journey. Despite covering a relatively short distance of three kilometres, the procession took more than four-and-a-half hours to return to the temple premises around 10 am due to the overwhelming participation of devotees and elaborate welcome arrangements along the route.
The procession passed through Antim Chauraha, Bada Ganpati, Malharganj, Tori Corner, Gorakund and Sheetlamata Bazaar. More than 200 stages were set up along the route, from which devotees showered flowers on the chariot carrying Alija Sarkar. Many homes, shops and business establishments also joined in the welcome by offering floral tributes and distributing prasad.
Several religious tableaux and cultural performances added to the visual grandeur. Scenes depicting Lord Ram with Kevat in a boat, Samudra Manthan, Hanuman destroying Ashok Vatika and wildlife-themed displays promoting environmental conservation attracted significant attention from devotees.
Bhajan singers, including Dwarka Mantri and Gannu Maharaj, along with numerous local devotional groups, kept the spiritual fervour alive with energetic performances. Devotees, including large numbers of women and youth, danced joyfully to the devotional music.
Another highlight was the distribution of prasad at dozens of locations, including bananas, rabri, lassi, peda, kachori, samosa and tea. The scale of offerings was so large that many devotees humorously remarked that the generosity had become overwhelming.
Meanwhile, a separate Hanuman procession from the Ram Bhakt Hanuman Temple at Subhash Chowk moved through central areas before briefly merging with the Alija Sarkar procession near Sheetlamata Bazaar.
The city now awaits the main Hanuman Janmotsav celebrations, which will include grand aartis, Akhand Ramayan recitations, special abhisheks and devotional ceremonies across major temples.
Highlights
60 kg golden idol of Alija Sarkar placed on a silver chariot.
More than 200 welcome stages showered flowers during the procession.
Devotees covered a 3 km route in more than four-and-a-half hours.
Multiple religious tableaux depicting Ramayana scenes captivated the crowd.
Large-scale distribution of prasad, including sweets and beverages, across the route.
Bhajan singers and devotional groups energised the procession with music.
51-foot religious flags waved throughout the procession.
