Unique Ravana worship seen in 3 states:In MP, UP and Rajasthan, Ravana is revered as a son-in-law or deity; not burnt

Though Dussehra is celebrated by burning Ravana’s effigy to mark the victory of good over evil, some places in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan worship Ravana instead. Dainik Bhaskar’s team visited Mandsaur, Vidisha, Indore, Jodhpur, and Meerut to report on these traditions. In Mandsaur, Ravana is worshipped as a son-in-law. In Vidisha, he is the first revered deity. In Indore, people enter temples after writing “Ram” 108 times. In Meerut, nine brave sons are honoured, and in Jodhpur, people perform Pind Daan (ancestral rites). Read the report… Vidisha: Instead of Ravan Dahan, a community feast is held
There is a village in Vidisha district where Ravana is worshipped as the first revered deity. The name of this village is also Ravana. This village is located approximately 40 kilometers from the Vidisha district headquarters. In this village, Ravana is called Ravana Baba. He is worshipped along with other deities. Ravana is so revered here that before starting any auspicious work, people prostrate themselves before Ravana’s idol and apply oil to his navel. Dussehra is celebrated in the village with special worship, but Ravan effigy is not burnt. Instead of burning, a community feast (bhandara) is organized. Ravan was a Kanyakubja Brahmin. 90 percent of the residents in this village are Kanyakubja Brahmins. They worship Ravan as an ancestor and a deity. Ravan Baba is enshrined here in a reclining posture. Idol in a reclining state
A legend is famous among the villagers. It is said that in ancient times, a demon lived on Budhe Hill near the village. No one could defeat this demon except Ravan. Whenever the demon went before Ravan, its power diminished. When the villagers came to know about this, they built a large idol of Ravan in the village. After which, the demon never came to the village. On Dussehra, the villagers worship Ravana Baba and offer him bhog (food offering). According to the villagers, a huge idol of Ravana has been lying on the ground here for centuries. No one has been able to move this idol till date. With the cooperation of devotees, a temple of Ravana Baba has been built here, which is considered the second temple of Ravana Baba in the country. On the day of Dussehra, Ravana Baba is worshipped from morning. Mandsaur: Ravana is considered a son-in-law
In Mandsaur, people consider Ravana their son-in-law and worship him throughout the year. A nearly 41-foot-tall idol of Ravana is installed in Mandsaur, where people of the Namdev community especially come to worship. Due to this unique tradition, it holds a distinct identity across the country. It is believed that Ravana was Mandsaur’s son-in-law and the ancient city of Mandsaur was known as Dashpur, which is related to Mandodari. 41-foot-tall idol of Ravana
Along with the worship of Ravana in Mandsaur, another belief is associated. Here, people tie a thread around Ravana’s foot, which is said to ward off diseases. Ravana is worshipped here as Baba, and the thread is tied to his right foot. Additionally, prayers are offered to Ravana for the prosperity of the region, to protect people from diseases, and to guard against natural calamities. On the day of Dussehra, people of the Namdev community gather at the Ravana temple and perform special prayers. In the evening, the armies of Rama and Ravana march. Before Ravana’s slaying, people stand before Ravana and seek forgiveness. During this, they say that Ravana abducted Sita, which is why Rama’s army has come to slay him. Indore: Lord Rama’s Unique Abode
In Vaibhav Nagar, Indore, there is a temple called “Lord Rama’s Unique Abode”. Its specialty is that before entering, devotees are required to write the name “Rama” 108 times. This temple is built in South Indian style. Idols of prominent characters from the Ramayana have been installed on its walls and corridors. Along with Lord Shri Ram, there are also statues of characters like Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Meghnath, Vibhishan, Trijata, Shabari, Kaikeyi, Manthara, Shurpanakha, Ahilya, Mandodari, Kunti, Draupadi, and Tara. This symbolizes that every character of the Ramayana is revered in some form or another, and one should learn something from their lives. Shri Ram, the protector of the Dham, Bholenath, the secretary
The temple was established in Indore in the year 1990. A message is written in the temple, which attracts the attention of devotees – O residents of Kaliyuga, stop burning me. Burn the attachment, hatred, and ego within yourselves. This message is inscribed near the statue of Ravana. A message from Shani Dev has also been written – Stop offering oil to me, just chant the name of Ram, I will free you from troubles. A special feature of this temple is that Lord Shri Ramchandra Ji has been made the patron, Hanuman Ji the president, Kubera the treasurer, Bholenath the secretary, Yamraj the security officer, Chitragupta the accounts officer, and Vishwakarma the architect. Meerut: Tributes paid to martyrs on Dussehra
In Gangol village of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, nine brave sons of the village sacrificed their lives for freedom in the 1857 revolution. The British government hanged them on a peepal tree in the village on the day of Dussehra. Since then, the villagers consider this day as the day of martyrdom of the martyrs and observe mourning. Among those martyred were Shriram Sahay Singh, Ghasita Singh, Ramman Singh, Harjas Singh, Himmat Singh, Kadhera Singh, Shibba Singh, Bairam Singh, and Darba Singh. The elders of Gangol say that after the martyrdom of these nine heroes, the village had taken a vow that as long as this tradition continues, they will not celebrate Dussehra. The burning of Ravana effigy will not happen here. This is why the people of Gangol feel proud on this day in memory of their martyred ancestors. On Dussehra, tributes are paid in memory of the martyrs. Bhajans and Kirtans are performed. Jodhpur: Dussehra is considered a day of mourning
At the foothills of Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, a temple of Ravana and Mandodari is located. It was built by Brahmins of the Godha gotra. In this temple, there are separate large idols of Ravana and Mandodari. Both are shown worshipping Shiva. The temple priest, Kamlesh Kumar Dave, claims that his ancestors settled here at the time of Ravana’s marriage. Earlier, they used to worship a picture of Ravana, but this temple was built in 2008. Dave said that Ravana was a great musician as well as a scholar of the Vedas. In such a situation, many musicians and students studying the Vedas come to this temple to seek Ravana’s blessings. Dussehra is a symbol of mourning for us. On this day, our people do not go to watch the burning of Ravana effigies. While mourning, they bathe in the evening, change their sacred thread (janeu), and eat after visiting Ravana. Worship of Ravana’s family deity
The people of Shrimali Dave Brahmin community, Godha, consider themselves descendants of Ravana and also worship the same Mother Kharanana, who was Ravana’s family deity. They say that they worship Ravana for his good deeds. He was a great scholar as well as a musician. Even today, music students come here for darshan (to visit/see). It is believed that Ravana’s marriage with Mandodari took place in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The people who came in the wedding procession at that time settled here. These people have built a temple of Ravana and regularly worship Ravana. Currently, 100 such families live here in Jodhpur, while 60 live in Phalodi and fifteen hundred families live in the state of Gujarat. Input: Kapil Jain from Vidisha, Shadab Chaudhary from Mandsaur, Santosh Shitole from Indore, Irfan Khan from Meerut, Arvind Singh from Jodhpur.