Amidst apprehensions, the industrial city reflected the picture of traditional harmony today when the followers of Raheem offered serbat to the disciples of Ram during a Ram Navami procession here in the heart of Durgapur.

Braving the hot weather, women in a long queue were carrying water in sacred pots for their annual Bajrangbali Puja at Sonartori Government Colony, in the outskirts of City Centre. Lakshmi Ghosh, Putul Roy, Bina Das and the likes were surprised when their neighbourhood housewives, girls such as Salima Shah, Rubina Khatun, Afsana Haque came forward with wet towels and glass full of sweet aromatic serbats. Putul said: “It’s too hot today and the serbats were very welcome.”

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Deepak Mal is the key person behind the Ramnavami procession here this year. He and his fellow participants in the gorgeous procession were received by Sheikh Asif, Iqbal Qureshi of C – Zone Eid Celebration Committee near City Centre. All were offered serbats and sweets by the Eid Committee.

Deepak said: “It’s nothing new here and it’s the same Eid Committee that is A co-organiser of the Ramnavami procession since years. We are all wage labourers and always collectively celebrate Eid, Muharrum, Durga Puja or Ramnavami. We share the work of preparing the ground for Eid namaz each year and this is our culture here.” Asif said: “We sit and we play together. Even we share funds for someone’s daughter’s marriage and never think about one another’s religion.”

The MP of Burdwan Durgapur, Kirti Azad too echoed similar sentiments. He said: “Bengal never divides people.”