People across the country on Tuesday celebrated Dussehra with traditional burning of effigies of Ravan, his son Meghnad and brother Kumbhakaran, which marks the victory of good over evil. Effigies symbolising terrorism, terrorists and Pakistan were also put to flames.
With security personnel keeping a hawk-eye vigil, the festivities passed off peacefully across the country as crowds burst into cheers with fire crackers-stuffed effigies crackling in splendour.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing people on the occasion in Lucknow said no one should feel they are safe from terrorism as it has no boundary or morality.
President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi were present at the Delhi event at Ramlila Maidan.
At many places, particularly in Punjab’s Amritsar and Ludhiana, effigies symbolising ‘terrorism’ and ‘Pakistan’ were also burnt along side those of Hafiz Saeed.
In Indore, however, a large number of people worshipped Ravan and celebrated the day as ‘Ravan Moksha Diwas’ as part of their 46-year-long tradition and appealed people not to burn effigies of the ‘Dashanana’.
In Karnataka, curtains came down on the festivities with an impressive ‘Jambo Savari’ (procession of caparisoned elephants) with thousands of people watching amidst rains.
Several functions were organised in Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir state and effigies were set on fire by actors dressed as Lord Ram and Lakhshman.
The main functions were held in Parade ground and the Dussehra ground in Gandhinagar.
Traditional fervour marked Dussehra celebrations in Maharashtra as markets wore festive look with people dressed in traditional attires shopped for puja and decorative items.
In Rajasthan, fairs were held and effigies burnt in public grounds in Mansarover, Adarsh nagar, sanganer, Vidhyadhar nagar and other places to mark the occasion.
In Kolkata, the festival ended on Tuesday with the immersion of idols as the goddess left for her abode in Kailash at the end of her annual sojourn on earth.
According to Kolkata Police, nearly 1,000 idols were immersed till 6 pm.
In Himachal Pradesh, International Kullu Dussehra got off to a spectacular start with traditional Rath Yatra of Lord Raghunathji while Dussehra was celebrated with burning of effigies of Ravana, Meghnath and Kumbhkaran, elsewhere in the state.
Chief minister Virbhadra Singh consigned to flames 45-feet tall effigy of Ravan, Meghnath and Kumbhkaran at Jakoo in Shimla.
Kullu Dussehra is unique Kullu in the sense that there is no Ramlila and no effigy of Ravana is burnt and starts when Dussehra celebrations end in other part of the country.
