Etawah, Oct. 19 -- While Ravana's effigy is burnt across much of India on Dussehra, the town of Jaswantnagar in Uttar Pradesh's Etawah district follows a distinctive tradition in which the demon king is worshipped before being symbolically slain.
Instead of burning his effigy, devotees break it into pieces and take the wooden remains home, believing they bring wisdom, prosperity and protection from negative forces.
According to Rajiv Gupta, manager of the Jaswantnagar Ramlila Committee, the town's centuries-old tradition sets its Dussehra celebrations apart from those held elsewhere in the country. Ravana is worshipped across the town, with aarti performed using incense and camphor as his procession moves towards the battlefield.
The Ram...