100-ft demon king effigy draws crowds in Panipat

Residents of Panipat and Sonepat celebrated Dussehra with traditional fervour as huge effigies of demon king Ravana, his brother Kumbhkarna and son Meghnad were consigned to flames, symbolising the triumph of good over evil.

In Panipat, effigies were set alight at several locations, including Model Town, Sectors 13/17, 24 and 25, Ansal Township, Devi Temple Israna, Samalkha, Madlauda, and Bapoli, among others. The celebrations were peaceful, with no untoward incident reported.

At Shivaji Stadium in Model Town, the effigy of Ravana got damaged before the scheduled burning. After it bent over, organisers stood it up again before setting it on fire. In Sector 13/17, the effigy of Meghnad was also damaged due to strong winds.

The largest effigy, 100 feet tall, was burnt in Sector 25 in the presence of thousands of spectators. Several Hanuman Sabhas joined the celebrations across the city. However, power supply was cut as a precautionary measure, causing inconvenience to the public who had to remain in the dark during the event.

In Sonepat, Dussehra was celebrated with the burning of effigies at Kami Road, Sector 15 Ground, Sector 23, Grain Market, BST Ground, Pipli, and Janta Ground in Gannaur, as well as in Kharkhoda, Gohana and Kundli. The festivities passed off peacefully without any mishap.