Dussehra: Burning in the Old City

(Thane) Today was Dussehra, a major Hindu holiday that coincides with the final night of Ramlila, a theatrical retelling of the Ramayana (see previous post). In the evening, we went to the final act, which features Ram, the hero, slaying Ravan, the enemy. The climactic carnage is symbolized by the burning of three giant-sized effigies. At the performance we went to the effigies were at least 60 feet all, and, as an added bonus, the Red Fort was the backdrop. Here’s the before pic—

When we arrived, the place was packed, but some friendly ushers pulled a group of kids off of two seats to make a space for us. The kids weren’t too happy about it, but cheered up after we took their picture.

The show started a bit before dusk, although we couldn’t see much of the actual play because of the huge crowds, likely numbering in the high thousands. Not to worry, the acting was largely uninspiring but the real highlight came at the end after night fell. It started with a fireworks display in which the fireworks were literally shot off from the midst of the crowd, detonating directly above our heads and showering debris all over us.

Then came the burning of the effigies. The three images had apparently been rigged with explosive devices. They each went up with a tremendous bang—you could feel the impact and the wave of heat washing over you.

Here’s the big one of Ravan himself. I snapped these pictures as quickly as I could, and it happened this fast. One second—

and the next—

And with that, according to myth, evil has been rid from the world for another year. More importantly from my point of view, Audrey and I managed to escape without any major burns on our persons.

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Tags: Delhi, dussehra, ram, Ramlila, ravan, red fort, thane with kids