9 Oct : The auspicious festival of Dussehra, symbolising victory of truth over evil, celebrated with religious fervour, gaiety and enthusiasm across the entire country came to an end with the immersion of idols.
Festive mood gripped the young and the old alike as they thronged different venues to see giant effigies of demon king Ravana, his son Meghnath and brother Kumbhkaran blazing and crackling in fiery splendour at sundown.
Putting behind memories of grisly bomb blasts, the faithful celebrated Dussehra, symbolising the triumph of good over evil, with fanfare and traditional bonhomie across the country today.
However, festivities were lukewarm at places hit by bomb blasts that killed and miamed scores of people in some states recently.Festive mood gripped the young and the old alike as they thronged different venues to see giant effigies of demon king Ravana, his son Meghnath and brother Kumbhkaran blazing and crackling in fiery splendour at sundown.
Attired in their best, thousands witnessed the spectacular fireworks after the towering effigies came crashing on the ground.With police keeping a hawk-eye vigil in the wake of recent terror strikes in the country, the celebrations passed off peacefully with no reports of any untoward incident from anywhere.
The burning of effigies or the vanquishing of evil marks the culmination of 10-day Dussehra festivities dominated in North India by Ramlila vivid enactments of episodes from the Ramayana.
The week-long Kullu Dussehra began today with a procession of hundreds of gods and goddesses, led by presiding Lord Raghunath, amid tight security.The ten-day world famous Dasara festivities in Mysore, known for grandeur culminated today with an impressive "elephant procession" watched by lakhs of people.
Bringing the curtains down on the ten-day event was "Naada habba", the Vijyadasami procession, symbolising the triumph of good over evil.The festival is a legacy inherited from the Vijyanagar Emperors, showcasing the cultural diversity of the state enriched by diverse folk art forms.
PM , Prez and Vice Prez and Sonia greets the nation on Dussehra
President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, Vice-President M Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi have greeted the nation on the occasion of Dussehra.The Prime Minister said in a message today that India has an age-old tradition of celebrating Dussehra and Durga Puja, both symbolising the triumph of good over evil.He added that the activities centring around these festivals symbolise our rich cultural heritage, and are an inspiration for a life of righteous action. DDINEWS