Ravana in high demand on Dussehra for different reasons

JAIPUR/KANPUR - India’s unity in diversity gets reflected in the innumerable food habits, language, traditions, customs, or even religious faiths which have prevailed here for centuries. Dussehra festival is one such occasion that bespeaks it.

On Dussehra, Demon King Ravana’s effigies are burnt at different places of north India, whereas for many people he deserves to be worshipped for being a highly learned Brahmin.

In Rajasthan’s Jaipur city, artisans engaged in making effigies, were delighted due to high sale of effigies even ahead of the Dussehra festival. They had set up stalls to allure customers from almost all financial backgrounds.

Effigies ranging between two to 100 feet in height were available for sale.

One of the makers and sellers of Ravana’s effigies in the morning said 20,000 effigies have already been sold.

“Last year we prepared 10,000 effigies and this year we prepared 30,000. Whereas our the demand for our business had increased, it was affected due to rains and we had to bring in 80 workers from other parts of the state,” Jagdish Maharaj, one of the sellers.

However, in Kanpur city of Uttar Pradesh, the Demon King is revered instead of his effigy being burnt on the occasion of Dussehra.

In Kanpur, Ravana is worshipped at a temple. This unique temple, devoted to Ravana, is opened only once a year on the day of Dussehra that is also called Vijayadashmi.

As per Hindu scriptures and the epic of Ramayana, Ravana was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and had gained certain boons from him.

On Sunday, a large number of devotees converged at the ‘Dashanan temple’, devoted to Demon King Ravan in the city since it is the only day in the year when its doors are thrown open,

“This temple opens once in a year. This is Ravana’s temple. This is actually a wish-fulfilling place. Prayers are answered and people queue up to have their wishes fulfilled here,” said Malti Devi, a devotee

According to Hindu mythology, the ten-headed Ravana abducted Sita, Lord Ram’s wife. Rama went raised a war against Ravana to have his wife released from his captivity and killed the demon-king, his son Meghnath and brother Kumbhkarna in this pursuit.

Ram’s victory over Ravana is described as the triumph of good over evil and is celebrated every year by Hindus as Dussehra. By Lokender Singh/ Dilip Mishra (ANI)