City set to celebrate Dasehra at Daresi ground with state’s tallest Ravana effigy

Dasehra being arou

nd the corner, the city is abuzz with the spirit of celebration. While Dasehra fairs are being organised at over three dozen places across city, the one at Daresi is the oldest and most iconic. Dasehra has been celebrated here for decades and for the past many years, the tallest Ravana effigy of the state is set up here for the festival. This year is no different as a 121 feet tall effigy of Ravana is in the making at the ground. A team of 25 effigy-makers from Agra, Uttar Pradesh, have been working day and night to prepare effigies of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhkarna.

Asgar Ali, who has a team of hundreds of effigy-makers across the country, while taking to The Tribune, said that he his team was presently engaged in making Ravana effigies across various districts of Punjab, including Jalandhar, Phagwara and Khanna, and at various places in Haryana, Delhi.

“This year Ludhiana will again witness the tallest effigy of Ravana, measuring 121 feet, at the Daresi ground. This will not only be the tallest effigy in the district but also the state. Last year we had made a 125-feet Ravana effigy but this year the height has been decreased by four feet although the width has been increased,” added Ali.

He further said that most of his artisans were Muslim, while a few were Hindus, but they all came together to utilise their talent to prepare the best effigies. Ali further said, “My team and I have been making effigies across the country for over a decade now. Earlier, my father Ashraf Ali used to make these effigies and I used to accompany him but now I carry his legacy and will continue to do this till my last breath. Every year our workers reach their designated cities to prepare effigies a month and half before the festival.”

Traditional celebrations

Daresi is not only known for installing the tallest effigy of Ravana on Dussehra but unlike other places where the effigies of Ravana, Meghnad, and Kumbhkarna are burnt together, here these are burnt according to the order of their deaths in the Ramayana. First Meghnad, then Kumbhkarna, and finally Ravana’s effigies shall be burnt. The celebrations don’t end there; the very next day, the Bharat Milap is held, marking Lord Ram’s reunion with Bharat, a ritual that distinguishes Daresi’s festivities from others. The fair itself is a major attraction, pulling huge crowds to the ground every year. Police and district administration have to make adequate security arrangements to ensure that the law and order situation remains under control. Speaking about the legacy, Dinesh Marwaha of the Shree Ram Leela and Dasehra Committee shared, “Our society was officially registered in 1961, but this fair was celebrated even before that. Generations have worked to keep these traditions alive. The younger generation has now been entrusted with responsibilities like leading the Shobha Yatra with a specially crafted silver chariot, ensuring that customs are carried forward without alteration. These rituals are deeply tied to people’s faith, so we cannot make any changes in their sequence.”