Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and several state ministers and lawmakers Monday joined the Hanuman Jayanti celebration which was observed peacefully across the state.
Wearing a headgear with “Jai Sriram” written on it, Majhi participated in the Hanuman Jayanti procession at his hometown Keonjhar, while saffron-clad Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan joined the celebration in Sambalpur, his Lok Sabha Constituency.
“I came to Keonjhar after offering puja at Maa Tarini Temple and joined the procession from Mahavir Chhak. I join the procession every year. By the grace of the Lord, this time also I got the opportunity to participate in the festival. The celebration is peaceful,” Majhi told reporters.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, veteran BJP MLA Jay Narayan Mishra and other leaders also performed “Aarti” before Lord Hanuman before starting the processions in Sambalpur.
The entire Sambalpur town was put under the security blanket with the deployment of over 50 platoons (one platoon comprises 30 personnel) of the police and Central Armed Forces personnel.
The city witnessed a riot on Hanuman Jayanti in 2023 for which the permission for the procession was denied the next year.
In a post on X, Pradhan said: “I joined Hanuman Jayanti in a spiritual atmosphere at Budharja, Dhankeewda and Sunapali in Sambalpur. Lord Shri Hanuman is the symbol of devotion, sacrifice, perseverance and dedication. There is devotional enthusiasm among the citizens on Hanuman Jayanti. I wish the world well-being from the Lord. Jai Sriram, Jai Bajrangbali.”
ଜୟ ଶ୍ରୀରାମ 🙏
ଜୟ ବଜରଙ୍ଗବଲୀ 🙏 pic.twitter.com/R9BXAHhJR5— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) April 14, 2025
Pradhan also said that the celebration was peaceful.
“The Hanuman Jayanti celebration was held amid tight security across the state and there was no report of any untoward incident from any part of the state,” Additional DG (Law and Order) Sanjay Kumar told PTI.
Stating that around 200 platoons of security forces and 10 companies of central armed force jawans have been deployed across the state to maintain peace during the festival, Kumar said that special arrangements were made for places like Sambalpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
This apart, 40 AI-enabled drones are being used and 600 CCTV cameras installed in major towns and cities to bolster surveillance, he said.
The police personnel in civilian clothes have been deployed along with mobile vehicles to carry out on-ground monitoring discreetly.
Every district has been equipped with a modern control room to coordinate the activities and respond swiftly to emergencies, he said.
