The nine- day festival of Navratri culminates on Dussehera or Vijasydashmi which commemorates Lord Ram’s triumph over the demon king Ravan and Goddess Durga’s victory over the asura Mahishasura. This year the festival is being celebrated on October 12.

A major highlight of the festival is the Ravan Dahan-  a ritual that involves burning the effigies of Ravan, his brother Kumbhkaran and son Meghnad that are filled with firecrackers marking the victory of righteousness and the destruction of evil. Like every year the Punjabi Hindu Biradari will be organising this event in Morabadi Maidan.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren will be slaying the demon King Ravan, Minister of State for Defence, Government of India Sanjay Seth will burn the effigy of Kumbhakaran while MLA CP Singh will burn Meghnad. Senior officials of the administration and police are also present as guests on the occasion.

For the much awaited event, a 70- feet tall effigy of Ravan, 65- feet and 60- feet tall dummies of Kumbhakaran and Meghnad have been made while a replica of the Golden Lanka will be about 30- feet by 30- feet. Ground and aerial fireworks will also be a major attraction of the programme.

“Ravan Dahan was started in Ranchi in 1948- 75 years back when a 12- feet tall statue of Ravan was made. In 1960, with the increasing crowd assembling to witness it, the organisers considered Morabadi ground to be a more suitable location for the programme. Since then, the height of Ravan’s effigy was increased and the community also got the golden Lanka along with the dummies of Kumbhakaran and Meghnad made. Punjabi Hindu Biradari also tries to involve different communities of the society in organising the Ravan Dahan programme,” said chairman of Punjabi Hindu Biradari Sudhir Uggal.

Along with local artists of the region, folk artists from Uttar Pradesh will present a captivating cultural programme including a live statue of Shri Ramji and a live tableau of Ravan’s killing. A display of fireworks by Pyro FireWorks from Mumbai and Kolkata as well as Bhangra dance by Paramit Singh and his group from Jamshedpur will add grandeur to the event.

Ambulance arrangements have been made by Gurunanak Hospital and Punjabi Hindu Biradari and drinking water has been arranged by Shri Guru Singh Sabha, Gurudwara, Ranchi and Marwari Yuva Manch.