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Dussehra with a difference: Here Ravana is worshipped
Members of Saraswat Brahmin community (a Brahmin subcaste) in Agra and Mathura districts of Uttar Pradesh organise prayers for the demon king on Vijaya Dashami
While most people gather at Ramleela grounds to witness the burning of Ravana’s effigies on Dussehra, there is section here which hails him on the occasion instead as it claims that the demon king was a Saraswat Brahmin (a Brahmin subcaste).
This section of Ravana admirers is not confined to Agra but is also there in nearby Mathura district. They claim that the demon king stood for principles and values all his life. Mathura-based lawyer Omveer Saraswat, 52, has been organising prayers for Ravana for past 20 years or so at Shiva temple on the Yamuna banks on Dussehra day.
“We, mostly Saraswat Brahmin, gather every year at Shiva temple on Dusshera in Mathura and offer prayers to Ravana who was even regarded by Lord Ram. Lord Rama sent his younger brother Laxman to listen to the preaching of a dying Ravana,” says the lawyer.
“It was Ravana who had, according to the Ramayana, came to the assistance of Lord Ram who needed an ‘acharya’ (Brahmin) to perform ‘puja’ before constructing the ‘Ram-Setu’ (the bridge to Lanka) and Ravana came. He was respected even by Lord Ram because the Lanka ruler was the greatest devotee of Lord Shiva” Saraswat adds.
“Why such a learned Brahmin’s effigy is burnt year after year and who those come to burn Ravana need to be one having committed no sin but there is none beyond sins. What is the logic of burning effigy of Ravana year after year as according to Hindu religion ‘antim sanskar’ (last rites) is performed only once” he reasons.
“For us, Ram is God and Ravana is ‘Mahan’ (great) and we have nothing against Lord Ram as we are devout Hindus and are joined by Saraswat and non-Saraswat Brahmin who too believe in what we believe,” says Saraswat who is preparing to hold Ravana Puja on Wednesday. In Agra, the worshippers of Ravana are led by Madan Mohan Sharma, a Saraswat Brahmin, who organises a three-day event to praise Ravana.
“We are from ‘Saraswat’ gotra of Brahmins to which Ravana belonged. We are totally against the burning the effigy of King Ravana on Dusshera. We will rather worship him and Dusshera will be marked as ‘shubh sankalp’ (day of vow),” said Pt Madan Mohan Saraswat, the convenor of Lankapati Maharaj Dashanan Ravan Puja Committee in Agra.
“We the followers of King Ravana will gather at Kailash temple of Lord Shiva on the Yamuna banks in Agra and will worship him (Ravana). There will be a recitation of ‘Shiv Tandav Strota’ in praise of Lord Shiva. On Dusshera, a ‘havan’ will be performed at Ram Lal old age home,” Saraswat said.
