Rains fail to dampen Dussehra celebrations in Lucknow

Rains mostly kept people indoors for major part of Wednesday and yet, failed to dampen Dussehra celebrations

Rains mostly kept people indoors for major part of Wednesday and yet, failed to dampen Dussehra celebrations. That was because housing societies and residential welfare associations in many city apartment buildings gathered in large numbers to burn Ravana effigy as rains ebbed towards the evening.

At Tulsiani Golf View apartment, women wore traditional white & red sarees to offer sindoor to goddess Durga before the immersion (ht)

A 20 feet Ravan effigy was set on fire by office bearers of the resident welfare association at the Srishti Apartment, Kursi Road to celebrate Vijay Dashami.

“We did not want to waste our Dussehra just for rains,’’ said Vivek Sharma, a Srishti apartment resident.

“Despite heavy rains, we all got together to burn down Ravana’s effigy, that was purchased at the last moment. Children got together to make the effigy face and breathed life into the celebrations with fire crackers stored from last Diwali,” he added.

The scene at the Kalpataru Apartment Community Centre was no different at the Kalpataru Apartment Community Centre in Gomti Nagar extension or at Ansal’s Sushant Golf City. At Tulsiani Golf View Apartment, women wore traditional white and red sarees to offer sindoor to goddess Durga just before the immersion that took place amid heavy rains.

Here, heavy rains blew away the pandal and the Ravana effigy got submerged in water that had accumulated due to heavy rains.

But, the collective effort of the RWA and its residents, who instantly put together a symbolic Ravana effigy as rains subsided briefly ensured that the festivities remained unaffected.

The RWS at Sopan Enclave on Sitapur road, organised Dandiya Night, where more than 90 families participated in the festivities. At Sahara Estate, Gomti Nagar, a miniature Ravana effigy was put together for the symbolic burning after rains stopped.