Prayagraj News: There may be a tradition of burning effigies of Ravana on the occasion of Vijayadashami all over the world, but in Sangam city Prayagraj, the Dussehra festival starts with the worship of Lankadhipati Ravana, the conqueror of the three worlds, and a grand procession. When the procession of Maharaja Ravana along with his family and the elusive army takes place on the streets of Prayagraj amid horse-chariots, band parties and attractive road lights, a crowd of people gathers to welcome him.
Amidst the bad weather and rain, this year more than one and a half dozen tableaux included in the Shobha Yatra remained the center of special attraction among the people. Dussehra festival has started in Prayagraj with this procession in the name of Ravana Baraat. Lankadhipati Ravana is worshiped in Prayagraj because of his scholarship. The Shri Katra Ramlila Committee here neither burns Ravana nor kills his effigy on the day of Dussehra. This time, many special guests including Prayagraj Mayor Ganesh Kesarwani and MLA Harshvardhan Bajpai were also present in the Ravana procession.
Ravana’s procession on Dussehra
On the occasion of the beginning of Dussehra, the royal procession of Lankadhipati Ravana, the conqueror of the three worlds, was taken out in the traditional manner with full pomp and grandeur in Sangam city Prayagraj. Before the royal procession was taken out from the temple of Maharishi Bhardwaj, aarti and worship of Maharaja Ravana was done in the ancient Shiva temple and people were hailed for him. In this unique procession, known as Ravana Baraat, Dashanan was giving darshan to the devotees riding on a huge silver throne placed on an artificial elephant built on a grand chariot, while his wife Maharani Mandodari and other members of the family were riding on horses and different chariots. Appeared seated.
Just ahead of Dashanan’s ride, his illusive army was marching, performing unique stunts. Amidst the rain of flowers, bands playing Vijay tunes and attractive lights, Maharaja Ravana and his family members were given a grand welcome at every place as if Dashanan had once again returned to Lanka after conquering all the three worlds. This time, when the Ravana procession came out on the streets amidst rain and bad weather, a crowd of people came out on the streets to have darshan of Dashanan and his family.
Maharaja Ravana is worshiped for his scholarship in Prayagraj, the birthplace of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and wisdom and the city of Maharishi Bhardwaj. Here even the effigy of Ravana is not burnt on the day of Dussehra. At the beginning of Dussehra festival, a symbolic slogan of cutting off the nose and ears of the person taking the name of Ram and making him drink glass is also raised.
The artist who created Ravana considers himself an artist
Ravana is decorated for hours before the procession. This is the reason why the artists who become Ravana here consider themselves very lucky. People associated with Shri Katra Ramlila Committee, which worships Ravana on Dussehra, consider themselves descendants of Maharishi Bhardwaj. According to the media in-charge of the committee, Pawan Prajapati, this tradition of starting Dussehra festival with Ravana Puja is centuries old here. In this one kilometer long unique and grand procession of Dashanan, many tableaux based on the lives of Maharaja Ravana as well as his gurus Lord Bhole Shankar and Kishan Kanhaiya are also included. The decoration of these tableaux and the cultural programs held on them make it a special attraction of the Shobha Yatra.
This year, along with the family of Maharaja Ravana, tableaus of Lankapati Ravana’s guru Lord Shiva and other gods and goddesses were also brought out. There was so much crowd on the streets of Prayagraj to see about one and a half dozen of these tableaux that there was no space even to keep the sesame seeds. Devotees from every corner of the country come here to see this unique procession and tradition. More than a dozen band parties and colorful and attractive road lights were adding to the grandeur of this Ravana procession.
This procession of Maharaja Ravana is taken out by the Shri Katra Ramlila Committee of Prayagraj from the ashram of Maharishi Bhardwaj in the Colonelganj area of the city. With this unique and grand procession of Lankadhipati Ravana, the Dussehra festival begins in the Sangam city of Prayagraj. Under this festival, like this Shobha Yatra, grand Ram Dal and Hanuman Dal are taken out in different localities of the city for a fortnight, which are famous all over the world due to their grandeur. In other parts of the country, Dussehra starts from Navratri, but in Sangam city Prayagraj, Dussehra festival starts from the day of Pitru Paksha Ekadashi.