Dussehra 2025 Celebrations: UP Village Marks Festival By Worshipping Ravana Instead Of Burning His Effigy

Greater Noida: As towering effigies of Ravana are set to go up in flames across the country on October 2, the people of Bisrakh village near Greater Noida will mark Dussehra very differently. Here, instead of condemning the demon king from the Ramayana, villagers worship him as an ancestor and a revered scholar.

Residents believe that Ravana was born in Bisrakh, once known as Vishveshara after his father Rishi Vishrava. For generations, locals have offered prayers to him, referring to him as Maha Brahman. They believe that wishes made in his name at the village’s Shiv Mandir, also called the Ravana temple, never go unanswered.

The temple, believed to have been established by Rishi Vishrava, houses an ancient Shiva Lingam said to have been worshipped by Ravana himself. Recently, a statue of Ravana’s head was also installed inside the shrine.

“This is Ravana’s birthplace and the ashram of Rishi Brahma and Pulastya Muni,” said Ramdas, the head priest of the temple. “On Vijayadashami, we place Ravana’s idol before the yajna and offer prayers. His effigy is never burned here.”

Krishna Kumar, a resident, echoed this belief. “We consider Ravana like our grandfather or father. That is why we do not burn his effigy,” he said. Another villager, Sanjeev, added, “This Shiva temple has stood here since ancient times. Ravana himself worshipped here. Our celebration is about remembrance, not destruction.”

The village has drawn growing attention from visitors intrigued by its unique tradition. Girish, a first-time visitor from Greater Noida, said, “I had heard Ravana was born here and that this Shiva Lingam was manifested by Brahmaji. I wanted to see it for myself.” A family from Kerala also visited after learning about the temple online. “We came here after reading about the history. It is fascinating,” said Peeta, one of the visitors.

This tradition of reverence is not limited to Bisrakh. In Kanpur, the Dashanan Temple opens only on Dussehra, when devotees chant “Jai Lankesh” and “Lankapati Naresh ki jai ho.” Ravana is worshipped there as a guardian of Lord Shiva and Goddess Chinmastika. His idol remains covered through the year and is unveiled only for this occasion.

While the rest of the country celebrates the triumph of Lord Ram over Ravana, Bisrakh stands out as a rare place where the demon king is remembered with devotion, not destruction.

Published on: Wednesday, October 01, 2025, 06:59 PM IST