Dussehra 2024 | This UP village mourns Ravan's death, performs prayers for his soul; know why
When the rest of the country celebrates Dussehra, Bisrakh village in Uttar Pradesh, approximately 40 km from Delhi, mourns King Ravana's death and performs prayer rituals for his soul.
Dussehra 2024: When the rest of the country celebrates Dussehra, Bisrakh village in Uttar Pradesh, approximately 40 km from Delhi, mourns King Ravana's death and performs prayer rituals for his soul.
Bisrakh considers itself to be Ravana's birthplace, and its residents regard themselves as his descendants.
The residents of Bisrakh feel Ravan should be praised for his intellect and devout faith in Lord Shiva rather than villainised. At the same time, they continue to pray to Lord Ram.
People avoid Ramlila celebrations for fear of attracting bad luck, which is one of the village's many deviating rituals. During Dussehra, they offer prayers at the Bisrakh Ravana Mandir.
According to local belief, the temple houses the same Shiva Linga that Ravana and his father, the sage Vishravas, worshipped.
According to Times Now, the village's name is believed to be derived from the word "Vishravas".
The residents of the area have even donated funds to build a new temple dedicated to Ravan.
According to Hindu legend, Ravan was the ruler of Lanka, and he was extremely intelligent and powerful. In various iterations of the Ramayana text, he is portrayed as the enemy in the god Ram's story, but he is also said to represent several Indian communities.
Temples of Ravan can be found in Kanpur, the Vidisha district of Madhya Pradesh, the Mandya district of Karnataka, and many other locations.