New Delhi, Oct 20 Dussehra, symbolising the triumph of dharma over adharma, was celebrated across the country on Tuesday, with revellers flocking to Ramlila grounds to witness the burning of effigies of the demon king Ravan.
President Droupadi Murmu, along with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, attended Dussehra celebrations at Dwarka, where the President set Ravan’s effigy ablaze.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the Vijayadashami celebrations at the Indraprastha Ramlila Ground, while Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal attended the Luv Kush Ram Lila celebrations at Ramlila Maidan near the Red Fort.
Murmu performed the traditional aarti of Lord Ram, Lakshman and Sita before releasing an arrow to set Ravan’s effigy ablaze.
The event featured 90-foot effigies of Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnath, said Bharat Bhushan Malviya, a core committee member and media head of Dwarka Shri Ram Leela.
Wishing people on Dussehra, the President called upon the people to imbibe the qualities of Lord Ram, saying his story inspired them to respect nature, protect the environment and care for everyone.
Prime Minister Modi said all institutions and political parties of the country should unite for national interest and fight together against the enemies of the country.
Participating in Dussehra celebrations here, PM Modi also said that no matter how big or difficult a crisis may be, no one should sit back relying on others rather 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,” the PM said.
At the Vijayadashami celebrations organised by the Shri Keshav Ramlila Committee at the DDA Ground in Pitampura, a 30-foot-tall effigy of a ‘demon cockroach’ was also burnt. The giant cockroach effigy became the centre of attraction, drawing excitement and curiosity from the audience.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended Vijayadashami greetings to the people.
“Heartiest greetings of Vijayadashami to everyone. May this festival of victory, filled with joy and faith, empower everyone’s resolve with renewed strength,” PM Modi said in a post on X in Hindi.
In an unfortunate incident, two people were injured after the gate of an amusement ride broke at a Dussehra ground in west Delhi’s Vikaspuri on Tuesday.
In West Bengal, Kolkata’s streets brimmed with devotees and revellers on Maha Navami, as the city made the most of the penultimate day of Durga Puja, with crowds thronging prominent community pandals and temples to offer prayers and soak in the festive spirit.
But beneath the celebrations was a heightened sense of caution following the October 17 stampede at Chorbagan that claimed 19 lives, with police personnel and puja organisers keeping a close watch on crowds and regulating entry at pandals to prevent overcrowding.
From the devotional atmosphere at Belur Math, the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission, to the bustling neighbourhood pandals of north and south Kolkata, families and groups of friends turned out in large numbers, making the most of the festival’s remaining hours.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Gorakshapeethadhishwar Yogi Adityanath led the traditional Vijayadashami procession from the Gorakhnath temple to the Manasarovar Ramlila ground, with members of the Muslim and weaver communities among those who welcomed it with floral showers.
The procession, a longstanding tradition of the Gorakhnath temple, began around 4.30 pm after Adityanath offered prayers to Guru Gorakhnath, revered by the Nath sect as an incarnation of Lord Shiva.
Adityanath, dressed in traditional attire, led the procession on a flower-decked chariot as devotees lined the route to catch a glimpse of him.
The procession moved amid the chants of “Jai Shri Ram”, traditional musical instruments, including nagfani, turhi, nagaras and damru, and performances by members of the Hanuman troupe.
Earlier in the day, Adityanath performed special rituals at the Gorakhnath temple here on Vijayadashami, praying for the well-being, peace and prosperity of the people of the state.
Adityanath, who is also the head priest of the Gorakshpeeth, performed the traditional worship of Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath, following the customs of the Nath sect. The special rituals at the temple continued for more than two hours, according to an official statement.
The week-long international Kullu Dussehra will commence at Dhalpur ground in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu town on Wednesday. Kullu Dussehra is not a one-day affair, but a seven-day celebration. It starts just as the Dussehra festival concludes across the rest of India.
In Maharashtra’s Nagpur, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat addressed the annual Vijayadashami gathering, in which he cautioned that regime-change agitations do not resolve fundamental problems, warning that protests could become instruments of political interests and fuel divisions in society rather than delivering solutions.
Bhagwat cited recent upheavals in Bangladesh, Nepal, France, and Albania, asserting that forces pursuing their own interests use regime change as a means to alter political circumstances, but rarely achieve intended results.
He also performed ‘shastra puja’ (weapon worship) at RSS’ Vijayadashami Utsav in Nagpur.
(PTI News)
