Thousands of people witnessed torching of 60 feet Ravana effigy at Parade Ground in Dehradun on Friday. Effigies of the mythological demon king were burnt at some other places in the State capital as well as across the State. The occasion epitomises the triumph of the Good over the Evil as personified by lord Rama and King Ravana respectively.
The main function in Dehradun was held at Parade Ground where Ravana was torched by lord Rama on Friday evening to the delight of visitors present in their thousands. The effigies of Kumbhkarna and Meghnad were burnt through remote control at the venue. Security was tightened in and around the city and vehicular movement was diverted to other routes to ensure peace and order in and around Parade Ground during the occasion.
Thousands of people, including the Chief Minister Harish Rawat, reached the Parade Ground and witnessed the burning of the effigies. Three effigies of Ravana and his brother Kumbhkarna and son Meghnad, stuffed with explosive materials, were erected. The excitement of the visitors reached its peak when effigies of the mythological demons- Ravana, Kumbhkarna and Meghnad- were torched with explosions occurring inside them.
large number of local residents from various places in the city began pouring in Parade Ground since 2 pm to witness the programme. A small mela was also organised by the Dussehra Committee and visitors busied themselves in shopping in the ground. Children sounded excited while the effigies were being torched.
The district administration made elaborate security arrangements at and around Parade Ground area. Police had put barricades at many places around the Ground and they were vigilant on the visitors to ward off any nuisance.
Dehradun Dussehra Committee president Santokh Singh Nagpal said the thousands from the city as well as from other parts of the state assembled at Parade Ground to watch Ravana going up in flames.
"This time, fires were seen spewing from the mouth and the eyes of Ravana before lord Rama lighted him. Three floor height of lanka Dhahan were also constructed and four demons were also put outside lanka, were torched with explosions," Nagpal said. According to him, a team of 20 artisans, including four women from Haryana, had designed the enormous effigies of Ravana-60 feet, Kumbhakarna-55-feet and Meghnad-50 feet at the cost of over Rs 1.5 lakh. Firecrackers worth around Rs 1 lakh were used to burn the three effigies.
Religious processions in which Rama, Sita, lakshmana and his Sena reached Parade Ground to slay Ravana and burn the lanka were staged that started from Gopinath temple and snaking through different intersections, including luniya Mohalla, Paltan Bazar, Rujpur Road, Quality Chowk, Rajpur Road, finally concluded at Parade Ground. Traffic congestions were witnessed at many crossings in the state capital when religious processes were proceeding towards Parade Ground.
Meanwhile, effigies of the demon king, his brother Kumbhkarna and son Meghnad were also burnt at many places, including Ordinance Factory, Patelnagar, Premnagar and some other places, in the city to celebrate the victory of good over evil.
"After burning the effigies of Meghnad, Kumbhkarna and Ravana, special fireworks for half an hour were also held. The programme on Bharat Milap will be organised on Saturday," he added. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat was the chief guest on the occasion. Meanwhile, at many places, idols of the goddess Durga were immersed in Dehradun on Friday, marking the end of the four-day-long Durga Puja. However, most of the idols would be immersed on Saturday, it is learnt.