Dussehra in the Tricity is set to be a spectacle of scale and tradition, with both Chandigarh and Panchkula preparing massive effigies of Ravana and his kin for the annual burning ritual.
In Chandigarh, the spotlight will be on Sector 46, where the Shri Sanatan Dharma Dasehra Committee has raised a 101-foot Ravana, flanked by a 95-foot Meghnad and a 90-foot Kumbhakarna. The organisers have introduced special features this year — the Ravana’s head and neck have been engineered to rotate, and a “Sone ki Lanka” has been designed to enhance the backdrop. Fireworks with reduced smoke, digital lighting, and remote ignition systems have been arranged to ensure a safe and eco-friendly show.
The Sector 46 ground, which has hosted large gatherings in the past, is expected to attract close to a lakh visitors. Dussehra celebrations will also take place at over 70 other sites across the city, though Sector 46 remains the central attraction.
Just across the city’s border, Panchkula is making headlines of its own. At Shalimar Ground, organisers have erected what is being billed as the tallest Ravana effigy in the Tricity, measuring 180 feet. Alongside it stand two 100-foot-tall structures of Meghnad and Kumbhakarna. The towering Ravana, armed with a 45-foot sword and built with over Rs 2.5 lakh worth of cloth, is packed with nearly 5,000 firecrackers. A team of artisans from Uttar Pradesh, led by craftsman Mohammad Usman, has spent weeks creating the colossal figure, which alone cost around Rs 15 lakh to build.
The Panchkula celebrations will be backed by heavy security, with over 500 police personnel on duty. Traffic diversions have been planned to manage the expected crowds, and remote-controlled ignition will be used for lighting the effigies to prevent accidents.
The scale of preparations in both cities underlines how Dussehra has grown beyond ritual to become a showcase of creativity, engineering and community participation. While Chandigarh’s organisers are banking on mechanical features and modern pyrotechnics to add novelty, Panchkula has relied on sheer height and grandeur to draw attention.
"As the effigies go up in flames this evening, we residents will witness not just the symbolic burning of evil, but also a spirited display of craftsmanship and tradition competing across city lines", said Ritika, a resident.
