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Watch: Massive 221-ft Ravana effigy goes up in flames in Panchkula
The effigy was set on fire around 6.30 pm, after sunset, using a remote control, by senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak Prem Ji Goyal.
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A 221-ft-tall Ravana effigy was set ablaze at Shalimar Grounds in Sector 5, Panchkula, on Tuesday evening, drawing thousands of spectators to witness the region’s tallest Ravana burn.
The effigy was set on fire around 6.30 pm, after sunset, using a remote control, by senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak Prem Ji Goyal, the chief guest at the event.
Dussehra celebrations were also held across Chandigarh, including at Sectors 17, 34 and 46, as well as at Panjab University (PU) and Sector 48, with traffic restrictions and congestion reported around several venues.
At PU, a 70-ft-tall Ravana effigy was burnt. Acting vice-chancellor Prof Meenakshi Goyal attended the event, while Haryana governor and his wife, who were scheduled to be the chief guests, did not turn up.
Celebrations lead to traffic snarls
In Panchkula, the celebrations led to heavy traffic congestion, with roads around Sector 5 remaining jam-packed. Traffic police personnel were deployed to guide visitors and implement parking arrangements outlined in an advisory.
In Chandigarh, the tallest Ravana effigy stood at more than 100-ft in Sector 46. In Sector 34, the road in front of the Mandi ground was closed for the celebrations in line with a traffic advisory issued on Monday.
Watch | Panchkula Ravana going up in flames
A social media user, Himank Chawla, questioned the timing of the Sector 34 traffic restrictions, pointing out that while the advisory stated they would begin at 5 pm, police personnel were asking people to clear the road from 4 pm.
Meanwhile, UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria used the Dussehra celebration organised by Shri New Tirupati Balaji Sansthan at Dussehra Ground in Sector 48 to call for a united fight against drug abuse, describing it as the “Ravana of modern society”.
Kataria said drug addiction had destroyed thousands of lives and robbed the country of its youth. He urged citizens, political parties and social and religious organisations to turn the fight against drugs into a mass movement and work towards a drug-free Punjab and Chandigarh.
Former Chandigarh MP and Additional Solicitor General of India Satya Pal Jain called on people to follow the ideals of Lord Ram, uphold moral values and overcome inner evils such as ego.
