PNS | DEHRADUN
In order to effectively manage the crowd during the Dussehra celebration, the effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad will be burned on Parade Ground in addition to Bannu Ground at Race Course on October 12 by the Bannu Biradari.
Previously, the effigy burning ceremony was organized at Parade Ground every year on the occasion of Dussehra. However, this year, Bannu Biradari decided to hold the religious event at two locations.
Earlier, the organisers decided to hold it at Bannu ground at Race Course only due to the space constraint at Parade Ground post-Smart City project implementation. But recently, the organisers decided to hold the Dussehra celebration at two locations to have the crowd evenly distributed.
Informing this, the president of the Bal Yuva Sangh of Bannu Biradari Santokh Nagpal said that following discussions with Biradari president Harish Virmani, they had previously decided to hold this year’s Dussehra festivities and effigy- burning ceremony at Bannu Ground at Race Course due to Parade Ground’s reduced space to accommodate the huge crowd expected to throng. “However, later, following rounds of discussion, we decided to hold the ceremony at both locations. This is to ensure that the crowd is appropriately accommodated. Permission was sought and received for the Dussehra event at Parade Ground. Given the last-minute decision to hold the event at Parade Ground, it was not possible, however, to make the effigies locally. Therefore, a 55-ft tall effigy of Ravana along with those of Kumbhkaran and Meghnad each 50 feet in height is being brought from Delhi,” he said, adding that the primary reason for hosting Dussehra at two different locations this year is to manage the crowd. “We cannot ignore Parade Ground as the venue with the event being held there for years,” he added.
Nagpal further said that while the senior members of the Bannu Biradari would be observing Dussehra at Bannu Ground located at Race Course, the Bal Yuva Sangh of Bannu Biradari would be celebrating it at the Parade Ground.
