Durga Puja Ends Peacefully with 'Lanka Dahan'
Patna: Oct. 11, 2008
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Durga Puja Ends Peacefully with 'Lanka Dahan'
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Photo by Shashi Uttam |
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Hundreds of thousands of people in Patna on Thursday gathered at the Gandhi Maidan to witness the 'torching of Lanka' and the 'slaying' of the demon king Ravan and his evil brothers Meghnad and Kumbhkaran to mark the end of Durga Puja.
The Ram chariot surrounded by the legendary 'Vaanar Sena' left the Naga Baba Thakurbari at around dusk time and after passing through a number of streets, arrived at the Gandhi Maidan where the crowd welcomed it with large applause and chants of 'Jai Shri Ram'.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi paid their respects to Lord Ram and his brothers while signaling the 'burning down' of Ravan's Lanka.
The event, however, ran into snag when the giant effigies of Ravan and his brothers did not come down burning as expected and the organizers had to torch it several times after which it finally crumbled on the ground much to the delight of children and adults alike.
Earlier, Governor R. L. Bhatia officially kicked off the event by releasing dozens of helium-filled balloons and wishing everyone a very happy Dussehra.
With Puja organizers making a beeline at various ghats of the Ganges to immerse Durga idols, traffic throughout the city came to a standstill as thousands of onlookers stood by the side of the road to get a last glimpse of the beautiful statues created by artists from around the nation.
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