While India Celebrates Dussehra, These Places Worship Ravana?

Effigies of Ravana will be burned on Dussehra or Vijay Dashami at various places in India. Ravana, the mythological demon king of Lanka, is seen by many as the personification of evil, whose crime of abducting Sita (the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, Ramayana) led to the downfall of his kingdom and his family.

This festival is celebrated every year on the tenth day of Shukla Paksha of Ashwani month, which according to the Gregorian calendar falls either in the month of September or October.

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On this day, effigies of Ravana are set on fire in elaborate ceremonies witnessed by hundreds of people. Ravana¡¯s effigies are symbolically destroyed on this day by the devotees in the belief that good always triumphs over evil.

Places where people worship Ravana

People will worship Lord Rama on this day because he killed Ravana, who represents evil, but you will be surprised to know there are few places in India where people worship Ravana and think that he is not evil.

1. Baijnath, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh

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Baijnath Temple is one of the most popular temples in Himachal Pradesh. It is situated on the banks of river Beas, in the lap of the beautiful snow-capped Dhauladhar Himalayan Range. The Lord Shiva deity is worshipped here as ¡°God of Healing¡± also known as Vaidayanath or more popularly known as Baijnath, on whom the name of the town is based.

The Story of Baijnath Temple

There are a few fascinating stories about it, but the one we are going to talk about is the most famous. As per the legend, Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. Ravana chose to worship Lord Shiva in Kailash, where he sacrificed all ten of his heads in the Havan kund to appease Shiva. Seeing this, Lord Shiva bestowed him with invincibility and immortality.

Soon after getting his wishes fulfilled, Ravana requested Lord Shiva to come with him to Lanka. Therefore, Lord Shiva converted himself into a Shivalinga and asked him to carry it to Lanka. However, Shiva also warned him not to put the Shivalinga down on the ground on his way, and, if for some reason, he does that, Shiva will settle at that very spot forever.

Ravana agreed and started his journey with the Shivalinga. After reaching Baijnath in Himachal, he got thirsty and saw a shepherd who was Lord Ganesha in disguise. Ravana asked for water from him, and Ganesha requested that the Lord of Water/Lord of the Sea ( Varuna) fill the pot of water that he offered to Ravana.

Soon after quenching his thirst, Ravana felt the urge to answer nature's call. So he requested Ganesh to hold the Shivalinga while he relieved himself. However, Lord Ganesha kept the linga on the ground, and according to Shiva, the linga settled at the same spot in the form of Ardhanarishwar (Lord Shiva as half male and half female). The spot was in the modern-day town of Baijnath, where Dussehra is not celebrated in respect of Ravana's devotion to Lord Shiva.

According to Hindu mythology, Ravana was one of the staunchest devotees of Lord Shiva. The locals believe that if they burn the effigy of Ravana, they will face Shiva¡¯s wrath.

2. Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh

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In the districts of Mandsaur and Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh, Ravana is revered. Mandsaur, for instance, is believed to be the hometown of Mandodari, Ravana's wife. The Namdeo Vaishnav Samaj of Mandsaur believes that since Mandodari was a native of the town, Ravana is respected as the learned son-in-law.

A 35-foot tall statue of Ravana is installed in the Khanpur area of Mandsaur, and Ravana Dahan is never done in this town.

3. Bisrakh, Uttar Pradesh

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According to many beliefs, Bisrakh Village is considered to be the birthplace of the demon King Ravana, the Emperor of Lanka.

The village derived its name from Ravana¡¯s father, Vishravas, a famous sage who lived to worship Lord Shiva in this village. Ravana spent his childhood at this village before moving to Lanka. Ravana and his brother Kumbhakarana, who performed penance, acquired Lanka after getting miraculous powers from Lord Brahma, which helped them to drive out Kuber (the stepbrother of Ravana who got this country as a gift from Lord Shiva) to occupy the golden kingdom.

Every year, devotees perform a yagna after Navratri to pay homage to Ravana, instead of burning his effigy on Dussehra. The Yagna is performed by the villagers to pray for the peace of Ravana's departed soul.

4. Paraswadi, Gadchiroli, Maharashtra

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The people of this village worship Ravana as a god. Gond people call themselves "Ravanwanshis" (descendants of Ravana) and refuse to identify themselves as Hindus. The people of this village believe that Ravana was a Gond king who was killed by "Aryan invaders." According to their beliefs, the Valmiki Ramayana does not depict Ravana as a villain, and it was Tulsidas' Ramayana that made Ravana appear devilish.

5. Mandore, Jodhpur, Rajasthan

Dussehra 2022 Places in India where Ravana is worshipped | patrika

According to some legends, Mandore is where Mandodari married Ravana. Locals believe the ceremony took place in Ravan Ki Chanwari in Mandore. Thus, some local Brahmins, particularly Maudgils, consider Ravana a son-in-law. It is because of this reason that the Lankan king¡¯s effigy is not burned here, and Dussehra has not been celebrated the way it is in the rest of India.

6. Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh

Dussehra 2022 Places in India where Ravana is worshipped | ANI

There is a temple of Ravana in Shivala, Kanpur, which is known as the Dashanan Temple. The doors of this temple open only once a year, on the same day of Dussehra. The temple remains closed for the rest of the year.

Shiva draws large crowds in the hundreds-year-old Dashanan temple in the Kailash temple in the city's center, and special worship is performed on Dussehra.

7. Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh

Dussehra 2022 Places in India where Ravana is worshipped | edudwar

The Ravana Temple in the Kakinada region of Andhra Pradesh is built on a site believed to have been chosen by Ravana himself. Ravana chose the spot to create a temple of Lord Shiva, whom Ravana believed in.

It is believed that Ravana built the temple around the statue of Shiva. The temple is located close to the beach and is quite a picturesque temple. It is magnificent and beautiful! Kakinada is the only place in Andhra where Ravana is worshipped.

8. Ravangram, Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh

Dussehra 2022 Places in India where Ravana is worshipped | punyakshetram

Marriages are made in heaven but blessed by Ravana in this Madhya Pradesh village. Unlike in most parts of the country where the King of Lanka is abhorred for separating a married couple, Lord Rama and his wife Sita, by abducting her, Ravana is the first one to get an invite every time there is a marriage ceremony in the eponymously named village.

In Vidisha district, devotees head to Ravana¡¯s temple prior to every auspicious occasion or festival. Before solemnising any marriage in the village, the first wedding card is sent to Ravana¡¯s temple, one of the very few in India.

The Ravangram village is located in the Nateran tehsil of Vidisha district, nearly 40 km from the district headquarters, where Ravana has been worshipped for centuries by Kanyakubja Brahmins, a Brahmin sub-sect to which the demon king belonged.

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