New Delhi, Oct 20 President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, along with other dignitaries, attended Dussehra celebrations at different venues across the national capital on Tuesday, as Ravan effigies were set ablaze to mark the festival.
President Murmu, accompanied by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Cabinet Minister Parvesh Verma, attended the Dussehra celebrations at the Dwarka Shri Ram Leela in Sector 10, where she performed the traditional aarti of Lord Ram, Lakshman and Sita before releasing an arrow to set Ravan’s effigy ablaze.
Wishing people on Dussehra, the President called on them to imbibe Lord Ram’s qualities, saying his life inspired people to respect nature, protect the environment and care for everyone.
Addressing the gathering, Gupta said Dussehra symbolised not just Lord Ram’s victory over Ravan but also the triumph of truth, righteousness and justice over falsehood, unrighteousness and injustice.
She said evils such as arrogance, anger, corruption, crime, social discrimination, atrocities against women and hatred continued to challenge society, and called upon people to follow Lord Ram’s ideals in their lives.
The chief minister also urged people to stand united against social evils and teach anti-national elements a lesson.
The Dwarka Shri Ram Leela featured 90-foot effigies of Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnath. The organisers also introduced digital initiatives, including the live-stream of performances on social media, an app and digital ticketing, while planning to use green crackers during the celebrations, said Bharat Bhushan Malviya, a core committee member and media head of the event.
Modi participated in the Vijayadashami celebrations at the Indraprastha Ramleela Ground.
Addressing the gathering, the prime minister said that no matter how big or difficult a crisis might be, people should not sit back relying on others but recognise their own strength.
“May our thoughts be aligned, and may all the institutions of the nation, all political parties, stand together for national interest. We must proceed with this very spirit, and we must fight together against the enemies of the country,” he said.
Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal attended the Luv Kush Ram Leela celebrations at Ramlila Maidan near the Red Fort. Actor Yami Gautam was also present.
The ‘Ravan Dahan’ featured a dramatic sequence in which the 110-foot effigy screamed “Hey Ram” after being struck by Lord Ram’s arrow, followed by a monologue urging people to confront the evils within themselves.
“Every year, I burn. But this time, burn the Ravan inside you,” the monologue said, urging people to overcome arrogance while drawing attention to issues such as Delhi’s traffic and emphasising that residents themselves could help find solutions.
The 110-foot effigy featured several additions this year, including a rotating sword and eyes designed to appear as though they were burning.
Eleven garlands in different colours adorned the effigy, which was accompanied by a 100-foot Kumbhkaran and a 90-foot Meghnath, the organisers said.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attended the Ramlila organised by the Nav Shri Dharmik Leela Committee at the Red Fort grounds.
A 30-foot cockroach effigy was burnt alongside those of Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnath at the Dussehra celebrations organised by the Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee at the DDA ground in Netaji Subhash Place, Pitampura, in northwest Delhi.
The giant cockroach intends to symbolise filth and unhygienic surroundings and raise awareness about the health problems associated with them, including allergies and asthma, said Ashok Goel Devaraha, the committee’s president and Model Town MLA.
Devaraha said the committee burns an additional effigy representing a social problem every year alongside the traditional figures. He said the committee had previously burnt symbolic effigies representing issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Naxalism and foreign goods.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Arun Singh, Delhi Cabinet Minister Kapil Mishra and Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Delhi unit president Kapil Khanna attended the event as chief guests and participated in the effigy burning.
Singh noted that Dussehra was an occasion to reaffirm the values of truth, duty and righteousness, while Mishra highlighted the importance of incorporating the lessons of festivals into everyday life.
AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj filed a complaint with the Lieutenant Governor and Delhi Police Commissioner against the organisers of the Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee over the cockroach effigy.
In a post on X, Bharadwaj accused the organisers of deliberately hurting religious sentiments, altering sacred Hindu traditions and attempting to incite enmity between communities.
(PTI News)
