Dussehra 2019: The idol of Ravana or Dashanan is decorated with colourful flowers.
While a majority of the people offer prayers to Lord Rama on Dussehra in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow, there are some handful of people who visit the shrine of demon king Ravana to seek his blessing, believing that he was a "great scholar" who fulfills their wishes.
The temple "Dashanan Mandir", which is believed to be constructed around the 1890s by Guru Prasad Shukl, opens each year annually on Dusshera.
"We come here each year to offer our prayers to Ravana. Our wishes get fulfilled after paying tribute to him," said a local while speaking to ANI.
"This temple only opens once a year on Dusshera. He was a great scholar. The majority of his devotees are from Chatri and Thakur community," said another local.
On this day, the idol of Ravana or Dashanan (Ravana-or the one with ten heads) is decorated with colourful flowers and followed by aarti. Not only that, people who visit the temple also light oil lamps and chant mantras in front of the idol.
In Maharashtra too, a big black stone statue of Ravan, with 10 heads and 20 arms, stands tall in Sangola village where, according to locals, the Lanka king is being worshipped for the last 200 years.
Even as the rest of the country burns effigies of Ravana on Dussehra, the demon king is worshipped in Sangola for his "intelligence and ascetic qualities", local priest Haribhau Lakhade told news agency PTI.
According to some senior citizens in the village, Ravana was a formidable scholar.
"We believe that Ravana abducted Sita for political reasons and preserved her sanctity. We believe in Lord Ram, but we also have faith in Ravana, which is why we don't burn his effigies," villager Dnayneswar Dhakre said.
The priest said several generations of his family have been worshipping Ravana in the village.
"The happiness, peace and contentment in the village is because of the great king Ravana," he claimed.
"Everyone is afraid of Ravana, but he is worshipped by everyone in our village. On the occasion of Dussehra, people from across the country to the village to see the statue and some even offer prayers," the villager said.
Dussehra is a Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. The effigies of Ravana are burnt on bonfires in the evening each year.
(With Inputs From ANI, PTI)