The Raniganj Akhara procession returned to its traditional route in West Burdwan after an eight-year gap on Monday, with more than 700 police personnel deployed, CCTV and drone surveillance put in place, and weapons or dummy weapons prohibited.
The Mahavir Jhanda Akhara procession had been diverted after communal violence during Ram Navami celebrations in 2018. This year, the administration permitted the historic procession to use its old route as part of arrangements intended to prevent any untoward incident.
According to a senior police officer, 10 Akharas were scheduled to participate in the procession. It was expected to begin at around 9 pm and continue until midnight, requiring security deployment across Raniganj and adjoining areas during the evening celebrations.
The approved route includes Shivmandir, Rajabandh More, Churipatti and Tilak Road. These locations were included in the security planning, with police personnel deployed at sensitive points and route marches continuing before the procession.
A police officer said CCTV cameras had been installed at sensitive locations and that social media monitoring would be carried out during the event. Drone surveillance was also scheduled to remain in place while the procession moved through the town.
The prohibition on weapons and dummy weapons was part of the conditions governing the procession. The restriction applies as the administration manages the return to a route that had not been used by the Akhara procession for eight years after the 2018 violence.
The arrangements place the procession within a wider public-order operation involving crowd management, surveillance and movement control. Police deployment covered Raniganj and adjoining areas, while route marches were used to maintain visibility before the event began.
The procession was scheduled to conclude around midnight. Police surveillance, CCTV monitoring, drone operations and social media monitoring were to remain part of the security arrangements during the celebrations, according to the officer quoted in the report.
