Large crowds mark Hanuman Jayanti across Hyderabad amid tight security and traffic curbs

Large crowds celebrated Hanuman Jayanti in Hyderabad with tight security and traffic controls amid vibrant processions and local festivities.

It was around 7.40 p.m. on Thursday, when traffic began to slow down at Paradise junction as a Hanuman Jayanti procession approached, capping a day of large-scale celebrations across Hyderabad that had begun hours earlier under the afternoon sun.

With each passing hour since evening, police presence at the junction had steadily increased, and by around 7.30 p.m., between 80 to 100 personnel, including senior officers, had been deployed to manage the movement of crowd and vehicles.

The first signs of the procession at Paradise came in the form of bikers carrying saffron flags, who rode ahead of the main convoy. The procession itself reached the junction at 7.43 p.m. and cleared it by 7.50 p.m., even as traffic was briefly halted to allow it to pass. At the rear of the procession, a vehicle fitted with a DJ system blared loud music.

Earlier in the day, at around 12 p.m., the afternoon heat had done little to deter thousands who gathered outside the Ram Mandir in Gowliguda, with similar scenes reported from several parts of the city as devotees turned out in large numbers for Hanuman Jayanti celebrations.

In Gowliguda, saffron flags filled the air as people dressed in saffron kurtas assembled outside the temple, waiting for the procession to begin. The road leading to the temple was barricaded, allowing only pedestrian movement, while vehicular traffic was restricted. A heavy police presence was deployed here as well to manage the crowds and maintain law and order.

The main procession from Gowliguda began at around 12.30 p.m., with a tractor carrying an idol of Lord Hanuman. Smaller processions from nearby localities merged with the main one near Andhra Bank, adding to its scale. The procession moved through key parts of the city, including Koti, Sultan Bazaar, Narayanguda and RTC Crossroads before culminating at Veeranjaneya Swamy Temple in Tadbund.