Kolkata: West Bengal on Monday soaked in religious fervour, marked by special prayers and pujas held at numerous temples across the state in tandem with the consecration ceremony at the newly constructed Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Despite the all-faith harmony rally led by West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee in the evening, the spirits of the devotees remained undeterred.
The rally, characterised by much pomp and fanfare, couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of worshippers who flocked to various temples to light diyas and offer pujas.
Temples throughout the state were adorned with flowers, flags and posters, as colourful processions, organised by various temple committees, marched through the streets.
Simultaneously, the BJP and other Hindu groups conducted rallies and processions celebrating the 'return of Lord Ram.'
The saffron camp organised a series of events and programmes, including the installation of giant screens where the Ram temple inauguration was live streamed.
A significant highlight was a grand procession featuring a tableau depicting Lord Ram paying homage to Goddess Durga, which traversed from Baikuntha Nath Temple near Ganesh Talkies to the historic Ram Mandir on Chittaranjan Avenue in north Kolkata.
The procession, led by Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari and other BJP leaders, was accompanied by placards and flags adorned with images of Lord Ram.
Amidst the vibrant spectacle, Adhikari exclaimed on social media, "Saffron Tsunami in Kolkata Sanatani Shova-Yatra from Shri Baikunth Nath Temple to Shri Ram Temple to honor Lord Ram's homecoming at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya Dham. What a day, what a moment. We have waited for this moment for centuries. Jai Shri Ram."
The West Bengal BJP, however, accused the TMC government of attempting to discourage people from participating in the Ram temple inauguration celebrations.
Former state BJP president and MP Dilip Ghosh, after offering puja at a temple in Kharagpur, criticised the TMC's 'Sampriti (harmony) Rally' as an attempt to mislead people.
"As the country is celebrating the Ram temple inauguration, the TMC government in Bengal is trying to stop people from participating in such celebrations through the all-faith rally to be organised by the ruling party. We condemn such an attempt," he said.
In response, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh dismissed the allegations as baseless, asserting that the 'all-faith' rally had no connection to the Ram temple inauguration. "The BJP is trying to vitiate the atmosphere of the state before Lok Sabha polls," he said.
Banerjee, leading the all-faith rally, embarked on a symbolic journey of religious harmony, visiting various places of worship, including a temple, mosque, church, and gurdwara.
The rally, which began at approximately 3 pm, reached the Park Circus Maidan around 5pm, where Banerjee is scheduled to address the gathering.
Simultaneously, Governor C V Ananda Bose flagged off a 'Ramayana Yatra' from the Ram Mandir in central Kolkata after offering puja in the afternoon.
However, the day was not without controversy, as activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the students' wing of RSS, worshipped Lord Ram on the Jadavpur University campus.
This prompted a protest rally by the Students Federation of India (SFI), a major student union in the university, which held a seminar denouncing "any attempt to change history and divide society by the fascist regime." Saptarshi Sarkar, ABVP state committee leader, reported that around 50 people gathered at the union room for the worship of Lord Ram and to watch the live streaming of the Ram temple consecration ceremony.
JU SFI leader Sourayadipto Roy emphasised, "The Arts Faculty Students Union (AFSU) rejects any communal and fascist intention of RSS-BJP. We are organising cultural functions, discussions, and film screenings to uphold the message to save the culture, heritage, and pluralistic characteristics of India."
To ensure public safety, the entire metropolis was enveloped in a thick security blanket, with the deployment of 4,000 policemen to prevent any untoward incidents in and around Kolkata.