For some, burnt remnants of Ravana effigy hold great value

SHAHJAHANPUR: Demon king Ravana is considered as a symbol of evil and burning his effigy on Dussehra represents the triumph of good over evil, but surprisingly, hundreds of people risk their lives to collect the still-smouldering remnants of the effigy after it is burnt down, believing the souvenirs will protect them from various evils and misfortune.
In order to ensure the security of the public, a huge police force is deployed in most Dussehra grounds to keep the believers away from the effigy while it is still burning.Security at the Dussehra fair at OCF Ramleela ground has been heightened as the effigy of the demon king will be set on fire on Wednesday night.
Different people have different reasons for believing in this myth. A few think that evil has been burnt down and the remnants will protect their home from any kind of evil like thieves and robbers, or misfortune like sickness and accidents, while other believe the objects will help improve their financial condition. Some even believe that if they keep a piece of the Ravana effigy with them while gambling, they are sure to win.
However, there are some who believe that Ravana was a very learned person who had a lot of knowledge of the world. He had learnt all the Vedas and was the biggest devotee of Lord Shiva. They point out that even Lord Rama asked his brother Laxmana to seek lessons from the demon king during his last moments. Therefore some people keep the charred remnants of Ravana’s effigy to seek his blessings during tough periods of their life.
Ankit Jouhar, a local resident, told TOI, “It is a tradition in my family to bring back charred wooden parts of Ravana’s effigy because it will help us in fighting against evil. We have to ensure that the wood is collected while the effigy is burning because once it is burnt down it is of no value.”
Inspector Hari Om Tripathi, the security in-charge of the fair, told TOI, “We have increased the security at the venue because the effigy of Ravana will be burnt today and we have to ensure that people are kept away from the flames, as they might injure themselves.”