Dussehra slated on Tuesday, the committee members are now busy giving things a final shape. They said that the effigy of Ravana, the demon king, to be torched at Parade Ground in Dehradun to mark the day will be 60 feet in height while those of Kumbhakarna and Meghnad, his brother and son, would be 55 feet and 50 feet high respectively. This year, the effigy of Ravana will be draped in dhoti, drifting apart from the custom continuing here for years, said Harish Virmani, president of Dussehra Committee (Bannu Biradari), on Saturday.
Making effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkarna and Meghnad and other arrangements related to the event are being done on a war footing, he added.
The Committee member Santokh Singh Nagpal said that the effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad will be lit on the occasion of Vijaydashmi on October 11. “like previous years, Ravana will meet his symbolic end at the hands of lord Rama during the Vijaydashmi celebrations. This year, providing novelty to things, Hanumaan would enter lanka with the mission of lanka Dahan while emerging from the devil’s mouth,” he said.
A team of 33 artisans from Delhi have designed huge effigies of the trio, said Nagpal, adding that the effigy-making would cost a little over Rs1.5 lakhs. Firecrackers worth around Rs1 lakh would be used to light the three effigies.
The torching of the effigies of the demon trio at the hands of lord Rama, embodying the forces of the righteousness, symbolizes the victory of good over evil as depicted in the epic Ramayana.
Nagpal further said that the effigies of the trio would be lighted at 6.05 pm, adding that they are trying their best to lend the symbolic lanka Dhahan as much novelty as possible.
“After burning the effigies of Meghnad, Kumbhkarna and Ravana, we will have special fireworks going for half an hour," he said, adding that the programme on Bharat Milap would follow the fire cracker show. Among those who would attend the lanka Dahan at Parade Ground are the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat, Cabinet Minister Dinesh Aggarwal and Mayor Vinod Chamoli. Besides, the local MlAs Rajkumar and Harbans Kapoor would be present.
To mark Dussehra, religious processions will also be taken out. The main one will start from Kalika Temple and pass through several places like Paltan Bazaar, Moti Bazaar and Rajpur Road. It would finally end at Parade Ground.
Bands from Punjab and artists from Nasik and Gujarat have been engaged for the religious procession, it is learnt.