Dusshera celebrated with fervour

Effigies of demon king Ravana, his son Meghnath and brother Kumbhakarana went up in flames this evening as Dusshera, which symbolises the triumph of good over evil, was celebrated with gaiety across the country.

Effigies of demon king Ravana, his son Meghnath and brother Kumbhakarana went up in flames this evening as Dusshera, which symbolises the triumph of good over evil, was celebrated with gaiety across the country.

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The festivities of Durga Puja also came to an end today as idols of the Goddess were immersed in ponds and rivers by devotees.

In the national capital, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi joined thousands of residents to celebrate the festival and attended the Ramlila at the Parade Ground which witnessed a massive turnout of people.

Singh applied tilak on the forehead of artistes who played the role of Lord Ram and Lakshman.

The Prime Minister and Gandhi also attended the Dussehra celebrations at the Ramlila Ground.

People dressed in their festive best visited friends and relatives and exchanged gifts on the culmination of nine days of prayers and fasting to mark the victory of Lord Ram over Ravana.

Elaborate security arrangements were made at all the venues to prevent any untoward incident.

The festivities came to a spectacular end in Mysore after 10-day celebrations as over five lakh people witnessed a grand procession starting from the palace.

In Kullu, the festival began on Monday even as it came to an end elsewhere in the country. State Governor Prabha Rau inaugurated the festivities which would end on October 4.