Dasehra celebrated with fervour and enthusiasm in Karnal

Dasehra, the festival symbolising the victory of good over evil, was celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm across Karnal district on Thursday. At the Dasehra ground near Namaste Chowk in Sector 4, a towering 65-ft effigy of Ravana, along with 55-ft tall effigies of each Meghnath and Kumbhkaran, were consigned to flames in the presence of thousands of people.

The programme was attended by Karnal MLA Jagmohan Anand, Mayor Renu Bala Gupta, former BJP district officiating president Brij Gupta, Haryana Welfare Society for Persons with Speech and Hearing Impairment vice-president and chairperson Megha Bhandari and others. Shri Ramleela Sabha welcomed the dignitaries with traditional honours, presenting shawls and mementos before the effigy burning ceremony. At the press of a remote-control button, the massive structures went up in flames as chants of “Jai Shri Ram” echoed across the ground.

Earlier, due to high-velocity winds, the effigy of Meghnath was uprooted and had to be reinstalled, leading to a disruption in the programme.

Adding grandeur to the celebrations, a vibrant procession was taken out earlier in the day, featuring tableaux of Lord Ganesha, Goddess Durga, Hanuman, Radha-Krishna, Ashok Vatika, and even a unique depiction of Ravana riding a bullet motorcycle—drawing huge crowds and becoming the highlight of the procession.

Speaking on the occasion, MLA Jagmohan Anand said, “Vijayadashami is a festival that signifies the victory of truth, righteousness and goodness over falsehood, arrogance and evil. Just as Lord Rama ended Ravana’s dictatorship, we too must strive to defeat the evils hidden within ourselves to build a better society.”

Mayor Renu Bala Gupta echoed similar sentiments, urging people to give up negativity and work towards a new beginning.

Meanwhile, in Gharaunda, the Shri Ram Dasehra Committee organised a programe at the Government School ground on GT Road, where effigies of Ravana, Meghnath, and Kumbhkaran measuring 45, 40 and 35 ft respectively were set on fire. Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Harvinder Kalyan attended as the chief guest and extended greetings to the people. He reminded the gathering that Vijayadashami served as an eternal reminder of the power of truth and the need to eradicate evil within society.

Committee president Manish Gupta informed that the tradition of celebrating Dasehra in Gharaunda had continued for the past 94 years.