Vijayadashami was celebrated in the Kashmir Valley with pomp and fervor. The Punit Balan Group (PBG) and the Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti organized Dussehra Mahotsav 2024 for the second consecutive year in Srinagar. Huge crowds gathered to witness the burning of Ravana’s effigies this year as well.
The celebrations were held at the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar. The Kashmir Valley has a glorious historic and cultural heritage. To promote this, the Punit Balan Group and the Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti began holding Dussehra Mahotsav last year. The burning of effigies of Ravana, Meghnath, and Kumbhkarn conveyed a message of the symbolic victory of good over evil.
This is the only public celebration of the Vijayadashami festival in Kashmir. As a result, many people from all walks of life, including government servants, gathered in large numbers to witness the function. The effigy-burning has become a symbol of a shared cultural heritage between Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims in Kashmir, strengthening the idea of unity in diversity. The celebrations this year spread the message of communal harmony far and wide.
Promoting Unity and Cultural Heritage in Kashmir
The Punit Balan Group, led by young entrepreneur Punit Balan, sponsored the program for the second consecutive year. PBG significantly contributed to the success of the event. The Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti expressed gratitude to Punit Balan, noting that the construction of the huge effigies and the successful execution of the program were made possible due to Punit Balan's sense of social responsibility.
Speaking with The Free Press Journal, Punit Balan (President of the Punit Balan Group) said, “Vijayadashami symbolizes the triumph of good over evil, truth over untruth, and morality over injustice. The Dussehra Festival has been initiated in the Kashmir Valley to promote communal harmony and to boost cultural heritage. Local citizens responded overwhelmingly to the festival. I thank the Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti and all others.”
