Dussehra is being celebrated in the whole of the country on 5th October 2022. On this day, effigies of Ravan, Meghnad and Kumbhkaran are burnt by the people as a symbolic victory of good over evil. This same tradition is carried out in the whole of India, but a village in Punjab does not follow this tradition. A village in the Ludhiana district of Punjab interestingly does not celebrate Dussehra by burning the effigy of Raavan instead they worship him. This tradition of worshipping Raavan started in the village of Payal Town around 189 years ago.
On the day of Dussehra, Raavan is worshipped here and people offer the idol a bottle of wine along with goat’s blood. The worshipping of the idol which is considered a symbol of evil for everyone else is done in this village as the story associates with the birth of a son.
Anil Dubey narrated the reason behind this idea. He stated that his ancestor named Hakim Birbal Das did not get the happiness of having a child even after he got married twice. This disappointed him badly. One day he got really inspired by a saint and conducted a Ramleela and as a result of that, he received Putra Ratna. Also, Hakim Birbal Dar had 4 sons and all of them were born on the day of Dussehra, so he started considering it as a blessing of Mahatma Raavan.
Reportedly, people from all over the country come to the village on the day of Dussehra to make a vow in order to get a son in their lives. People from Pathankot, Chandigarh, Bhopal, Canada and Australia reach this village on the day of Dussehra. According to the locals of the village, any person who does not have a child must take a blessing from Raavan to get their wishes fulfilled. As soon as the wishes are fulfilled, people thank the idol by offering it a bottle of wine and applying goat’s blood as ‘tilak’ on the forehead.
In the year 1835, Shri Ram Mandir was built here and after certain years the permanent statue of Lord Raavan was also built. Now, its been 197 years since people worship the idol of Raavan to get the happiness of a son in their lives.