KANPUR: Devotees flocked to the Dashanan Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur on Tuesday to worship Raavan on the occasion of Vijayadashami, also known as Dussehra. The temple is said to be 125 years old.
Dashanan Temple priest, Ram Bajpai, told ANI that the temple opens only on the occasion of Dussehra and devotees come to pray that their children acquire wisdom and power similar to that of Raavan.
"We open this temple on the day of Dussehra and worship Raavan and the temple is closed in the evening after burning of a Raavan effigy. The temple opens only on the day of Dussehra. We worship him for his knowledge. There was no one else who possessed the power, knowledge, and wisdom similar to that of Raavan. His only drawback was his arrogance," said the temple priest.
"We burn that arrogance in the form of his effigy and we pray over here (at the temple) for our children to have power and wisdom similar to what Raavan possessed," the priest added.
Among other temples dedicated to Raavan is the Raavana Mandir in Bisrakh, Greater Noida.
In Andhra Pradesh's East Godavari district, there is the Kakinada Raavan temple believed to be built by Raavan when he was the king of Lanka in honour of Lord Shiva.
There are several temples in Madhya Pradesh dedicated to Raavan, including one in Mandsaur where the wedding of Raavan with Mandodari was believed to have taken place, and another in Vidisha, which is believed to be the native place of Mandodari.
Dussehra is that time of the year when the well-known Ramleela is held, massive fairs are organized, and people gather in large numbers to see Raavan effigies burst into flames.