New Delhi. On the occasion of Vijayadashami, while the effigy of Ravana is burnt in many parts of the country, there is also a place where Ravana is worshiped on this day. Yes, there is a temple of Dashanan in Shivala of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh which remains closed throughout the year and the temple is opened only in the morning on the day of Dussehra. It is said that this idol of Ravana was installed here about 200 years ago and since then it is worshiped on the day of Dussehra. According to the old tradition, the temple was opened in the morning on the day of Dussehra. After this the temple and the statue of Ravana were cleaned. Dashanan Aarti was performed with makeup and flower garlands. During this time, a large number of people were also present there who come to Ravana’s temple every year on the day of Dussehra. Now in the evening the temple will again be closed for a whole year.
#WATCH Uttar Pradesh: People worship Ravana at Dashanan Temple in Kanpur, on the occasion of #VijayDashmi pic.twitter.com/Ex0oxXm0z0
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) October 12, 2024
Temple priest Ram Bajpai told that Ravana’s birthday is celebrated on this day. He said that the reason why Ravana’s temple has been built outside the main temple is that Lankapati Ravana is serving as the guard of the gods and goddesses present inside the temple. Explaining the reason behind the worship of Ravana, the priest says that we worship the wisdom of Ravana. It is said that till date no other learned man like Ravana has been born on earth. Who is more powerful and learned than the one before whom even gods like Indra tremble and who has brought 9 planets under his control? The goodness of Ravana, a great devotee of Lord Mahadev, is worshiped in this temple.
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh: Pandit Ram Bajpai says, “People often ask why we worship Ravana. We do so to honor his wisdom, as he was a great scholar. We celebrate his birthday because it falls on the Dashami of the Shukla Paksha in Ashwin month. In the evening, we burn an effigy of… pic.twitter.com/1IO4PMqQ95
— IANS (@ians_india) October 12, 2024
