Ramanavami in Mahavir Mandir, Patna

Ram Navami is the most important festival of Mahavir Mandir, Patna. After Hanuman Garhi of Ayodhya, Mahavir Mandir attracts the largest number of devotees in the country on the sacred birth day of Lord Ram. More than three lakh devotees with ‘prasad’ ( Naivedyam) in their hands throng the temple.
This year the festival falls on 28th March,2015 which is Saturday. The temple will be opened in the early hours at 02:00 A.M. and will continue to be open for 22 hours till midnight. Devotees will start standing in the queue from 10:00 P.M. on 27th March itself. The entire exercise is made to reduce the time of devotees’ waiting which, at times, takes from four to six hours. To reduce this time the temple concentrates on such devotees who carry the Prasad and stand in the queue and only they are allowed to make offerings from 2:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M. Thereafter other devotees who come empty handed, too, will be allowed from the eastern gate.
This year there is some problem in making shades from the northern gate of the temple to the G.P.O. round-about because of the ongoing work on flyover. Though the engineers of the Bridge Construction Department are co-operating, yet it will not be so smooth as in the previous years.
This year ten additional priests from Ayodhya will be on duty for ensuring expeditious offerings. In addition, the temple trust is deploying 500 security men on hire from the private agency. For smooth sailing 2000 policemen including a large number of women constables should be deployed by Patna Police. The maximum requirement of the policemen is between 2:00 A.M. to 8:00 A.M. when there is a huge pressure to break the queue.
Apart from shades, the temple trust provides ‘Sharbat’ to devotees. Twelve C.C.T. Vs will be installed to show the deity of Hanumanji and the proceedings in the temple. There will be two primary health centres to provide medical relief. In addition, three ambulances will be available in the locality. Fire fighting arrangements in the temple and its vicinity are also made. Eight counters for the sale of the Naivedyam (Ladoos) will be available in the proximity of the temple.
Last year the Ram Navami was on Tuesday and 22604 Kgs. of Naivedyam had been sold. This year too, we expect that around twenty thousand Kgs. of Naivedyam will be sold. Thirty artisans from Tirupati will be engaged in preparing Naivedyam for offerings.
The nine-day recital of the Ramayan will be concluded on that day. At 12:00 the Hanumanji Dhwaj of the temple will be changed at sharp 12:00 hrs. after performing rituals and thereafter the Janmotasava ( i.e. birth-day celebration) and Arati will be performed. At night from 9:00 P.M. the Havan will be performed and this nine day celebration will conclude. On this day Maryada Purushottama Bhagwan Sri Ram was born to teach the world the highest degree of moral conduct by leading an ideal life. Therefore, the great poet Valmiki called him:- रामो विग्रहवान् धर्मः i.e. Ram is the embodiment of dharma.