New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday kill the demons of Ravana, Meghnatha and Kumbhkarana as part of the Dussehra celebrations in Lucknow's Aishbagh grounds. The Prime Minister will participate in the ‘aarti’ and then fire the symbolic arrow to burn the effigy of demon king Ravana, officials said.
Highest level of security arrangements are being made to ensure that the Dussehra celebrations go without any untoward incident, amidst terror threats.
The festical of Vijaya Dashami or Dussehra, marking the victory of good over evil, will be celebrated across the nation by burning effigies of the three Lankan rakshas. It is the day Hindu God Rama slayed Ravana in a symbolic victory of truth over false. The day also marks the victory of Durga over the demon Mahishasura. The goddess fought with evil for ten days and nine nights.
Plays based on the Ramayana (Ramlila) are performed at outdoor fairs across the nation, and large parades with effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghanada will be held in the evening.
The Aishbagh Ramlila is also seen as a symbol of pluralistic culture, also called ‘Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb’, as Muslim rulers branded it and allotted it space equal to Eidgah, which is situated right next to it.
