An effigy of the demon king Ravan exploded during a Dussehra event on Saturday, leading to comparisons with a "nuclear test". The moment was captured in a now-viral video circulating on social media. It shows a towering effigy, part of the traditional Ravan Dahan, erupting with a massive explosion.
Dussehra or Vijayadashmi is a major Hindu festival marking the victory of good over evil. One of the key events of the celebration is Ravan Dahan, which involves burning the effigies of the demon king Ravan, his brother Kumbhakarna, and his son Meghnath. The act symbolises the triumph of Lord Rama over Ravan.
The video showed spectators eagerly awaiting the burning of the effigy, as is the tradition during Dussehra. People lined up with their phones to capture the symbolic moment. However, shortly after the effigy was lit, an unexpected explosion occurred, creating a massive mushroom-like cloud that shot up into the sky, similar to a nuclear blast.
The sudden blast caused panic among the crowd, with bystanders scrambling and running for cover.
“Nuclear test,” a user wrote on X.
Another wrote, “Nuclear bomb testing was also done with Ravana Dahan.”
In Patna, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar led the Ravan Dahan ceremony at the Gandhi Maidan. An 80-foot-tall effigy of Ravan was set on fire as part of the tradition. Key figures, including Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, were among the attendees.
Nitish Kumar fired an arrow to ignite the effigy, which quickly burst into flames, followed by the burning of 75-foot and 70-foot effigies of Meghnath and Kumbhakarna, respectively. Before the ceremony, the Chief Minister and the Governor performed an aarti of Lord Ram. A massive crowd, estimated to be around a lakh had gathered at Gandhi Maidan to witness the spectacle.