BHOPAL: Dussehra celebrated on Monday evening under the shadow of the Covid -19 pandemic lacked the usual festivities and revelry in the state capital. Marking the triumph of good over evil, customary torching of effigies of the demon king Ravana along with Kumbhkarn and Meghnad was carried out at various places in the city.
With the authorities imposing a limit of maximum people for gatherings during festivals and strict measures to prevent COVID-19 infection, many people gave events a miss. The dussehra grounds that used to be hub of festivities, attracting commoners as well as dignitaries, wore a deserted look this time. Even the height of effigies were drastically reduced this time as the Ravan effigy measured 25 ft only, while last year, the demon king effigy was as high as 50ft.
traditionally, the Governor used to torch the effigies of the Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhkaran at TT Nagar stadium, however, this year medical education minister Vishwas Sarang, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and Kailash Mishra, PC Sharma marked their presence at the event. Singh applied tilak on the forehead of the artists who were in the get up of Lord Rama and Laxman.
Effigies of Ravana were burnt at Bittan Market, Kolar and other places. To regulate the visitors and traffic, police had barricaded roads.
A procession was taken out in the old city and it passed through various areas like Chintaman Square, Unani Shafakhana, Sultania Road, Ghoda Nakkas and it culminated at Chhola Dussehra Maidan.
MP Rajput Samaj conducted Shashtra-pujan at Maharana Pratap Bhavan, Char Imli. Lieutenant Vinay Bhadauria, who is also president of MP Rajput Samaj, performed Shastra –puja on this occasion. Hindi Utsav Samiti president Kailash Begwani said there was a thin presence of people on the Dussehra grounds for participating in the torching of effigies. The administration was very strict this time and roads were barricaded to regulate the visitors and traffic.
