Dussehra was celebrated with gaeity as the effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhkaran and son Meghnad went up in flames at Parade Ground here on Thursday.
The festival symbolising the victory of good over evil also known as 'Vijaydashmi', marks the end of the Navratris and Durga Puja festivities.
The curtain was drawn as the State Minister Dinesh Agarwal lighted the huge effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkarna and Meghnad at Parade Ground around 6.05 pm.
The gathering running into thousands burst into ecstasy as flames leapt up in the evening sky, swallowing the enormous effigies amidst deafening sound of bursting firecrackers, marking the end of the festivities. on a note of triumphant righteousness.
The effigy of Ravana was towering with a height of 60 feet while those of his kin, Kumbhakaran and Meghnad of 55 and 50 feet respectively were standing tall too.
No vehicle was allowed to near the ground as police had installed barricades along all the three sides of entrance to the ground i.e. Survey Chowk, lansdowne Chowk, and Quality Chowk. The people walked down nearly a kilometer to reach the ground.
Things started around 1.30 pm when Bannu Biradri Committee, which organises the event, took out a religious procession which started from Gopinath Temple, Macchi Bazaar.
The procession reached Parade Ground around 5 pm snaking its way through different localities, including Paltan Bazar, Clock Tower, Rajpur Road and Quality Chowk. locals were dressed as Ram, Sita, lakshman, Hanuman and Ravana to the delight of the people who turned up.
The crowd was mesmerised as Bedu Pandit, one of the artistes who posed as "Hanuman" burnt a model of lanka as a part of the 'lanka Dahen' at 5.40pm.
As lanka symbolizing the arrogance of power and pelf was burning, the effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad were put to flames, completing the grandeur of the festivity that celebrates the triumph of Good over Evil.