Everyone rejoiced and the scene erupted with the echoes of “Bolo Shri Ram Chandraji ki jai” as soon as the 25-foot high effigy of Ravana was set on fire.
According to the Hindu epic Ramayana, Shri Ram along with his brother Laxman and his devotee Hanuman along with his army marched to Lanka to rescue Shri Ram’s wife Sita from the captivity of the 10-headed demon Ravana. This victory of Shri Ram and his army over the evil ruler is celebrated as Dussehra, also known as Ravana Dahan.
Maa Shakti Charitable Trust organised Dussehra celebrations at the Malaeola Community Centre in Mangere on Monday, 26 October. The programme started with cultural dances followed by Ram Leela performed by school students and concluded with the burning of the Ravana effigy— the biggest crowd puller of the event.
For the first time in New Zealand, a 25-foot effigy of Ravana was burnt at the event followed by fireworks.
The crew poured inflammable oil on the tall effigy. The figurine was covered in glittering clothes and jacketed with firecrackers. It was placed in an open ground next to the community centre and fenced for the safety of the public. At the end of Ram Leela, a crowd of around 500 people assembled in the ground guarded by fire safety men and the effigy was set on fire by the chief guest.
Millions of people around the world celebrate Diwali post-Dussehra, which is one of the most important festivals in the Hindu calendar. The burning of the effigy signifies the defeat of evil and the victory of good.
Dussehra is not just a festival to remember Ravana’s destruction but also implies to exterminate and overthrow the Ravana’s prevailing within us.