Patna, Oct 20 (IANS) The 71st annual Ramlila festival and Ravan Vadh ceremony were celebrated at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna on Vijayadashami, drawing thousands of people to witness the symbolic victory of good over evil.
Organised by the Dussehra Committee Trust, the event featured the burning of a 90-foot effigy of Ravana, along with those of Kumbhakarna and Meghnad.
The celebrations were marked by chants of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hanuman” as the crowd gathered to witness the traditional spectacle.
Lord Ram, Lakshmana and Sita arrived at the ground in a chariot, while Hanuman and the Vanar Sena enthralled spectators with their traditional performance.
An effigy representing the golden city of Lanka was also set ablaze, adding to the spectacle.
The event conveyed the traditional message of the triumph of good over evil and truth over falsehood.
People from Patna and neighbouring areas gathered in large numbers to participate in the Vijayadashami celebrations.
Several dignitaries attended the ceremony, including Nagaland Governor Nand Kishore Yadav, Bihar Governor Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain, Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, and Minister Ram Kripal Yadav.
This year’s ceremony is expected to be the last at Gandhi Maidan, with the Ravan Vadh celebrations scheduled to shift to a new Ramlila Maidan being developed near Patna’s JP Ganga Path, popularly known as Marine Drive, from 2027.
The proposed relocation is aimed at addressing traffic congestion associated with the annual gathering at Gandhi Maidan.
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary had earlier announced the plan to hold the event at the new venue from next year.
Besides Patna, the Ravan Dahan celebration was also held at Gandhi Maidan Gaya, Motihari, Bettiah, Gopalganj, Siwan, Arrah, Dalmianagar, Mohania, Arval, Jehanabad, Aurangabad, Nawada, Jamui, Lakhisarai, Munger, Bhagalpur, Banka, Madhepura, Saharsa, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Muzaffarpur, Sasaram, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Chhapra, and other districts of Bihar.
–IANS
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