As the nine-day long Navratri or the five-day long Durga Puja draws to a close, it is the climax that everyone waits for. Burning of the effigy of Ravana, an age-old tradition, which has come to symbolise the victory of good over evil, finally culminates the festival of Dussehra.
Needless to say, Dussehra has a huge significance in the lives of Hindus. And Ravana Podi, which is an integral part of Dussehra, certainly is the grandest of all affairs that also marks the end of festivities.
That certainly makes Ravana Podi one of the biggest draws on Dussehra in most parts of the country. Back home too, Ravana Podi is an equally grand and elaborate affair that sees lakhs of people gathering on wide open fields in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack to watch the spectacle. As the large effigy of Ravana goes up in flames with fireworks in the background, Ravana Podi definitely is a visual treat.
There are quite a few Ravana Podi events that are celebrated with pomp and gaiety in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Sunday POST takes a dekko at a few of the prominent Ravana Podi Utsav held in Bhubaneswar and its outskirts.
The Ravana Podi Utsav at Baramunda is a huge crowd puller. Although Ravana Podi was held here for the first time in 2000, Baramunda has fast gained popularity. Following the Supreme Court ruling the Ravana Podi mishap in Kerala a few years ago, Baramunda and Jharpada Durga Puja committees are the lucky few that have been allowed permission to organise the event, albeit adhering to the guidelines set by the apex court. Besides boasting a huge effigy of Ravana, the committee spends almost `2 lakh on fireworks.
Following the guidelines, the committee makes sure to place the effigy and conduct the fireworks show at more than 300 meters away from the spectators. Besides, it also ensures that there is enough water and other fire fighting equipment in place in case of emergency.
Rama Chandra Ransingh, president, Baramunda Durga Puja committee, says, “The concept of Ravana Podi was not that popular in the capital city till a decade ago. In order to add splendour to puja revelry, we decided to organise Ravana Podi Utsav. Baramunda records the highest footfall every year. This is because visitors feel safe coming here as the effigy is burnt in open air, while the crowd watches it from a distance.”
The organisers make necessary provisions for crowd safety and engage more than 100 volunteers to monitor the proceedings. “From controlling the crowd to managing the traffic and parking of vehicles, our volunteers ensure that everyone attending the event feel safe and comfortable. Besides, we also install closed circuit television cameras at vantage points to ensure that there is no law and order problem. We have never ever encountered any untoward incident,” adds Rama.
Nayapalli is another popular destination for revellers on Dussehra. The Nayapalli Puja Committee has been organising Ravana Podi Utsav for the last 32 years and attracts huge footfall every season. Nayapalli is home to a 75-feet tall Ravana effigy, which is a sight in itself when it goes up in flames.
Naba Kishore Behera, advisor, Nayapalli Puja Committee, says that following the Supreme Court ruling, the committee has drastically cut its budget and has reduced the scale of fireworks.
“Initially, when we started Ravana Podi Utsav at the Kasturva ground, our budget was `30,000. Gradually it went up to `2 lakh. However, adhering to the Supreme Court guidelines and keeping in mind the rising pollution level, we have substantially cut down on our budget. Our primary objective is to burn the effigy of demon king and spread the message of triumph of good over the evil. So we have stopped giving priority to fireworks. This year we will be spending only `1 lakh on fireworks. However, this hasn’t dampened the spirit of the revellers and footfall hasn’t been affected,” says Naba.
To make the entire event a grand affair, the puja committee also organises Ram Leela from Sasthi to Nabami, which is another big draw. “We also lay a lot of emphasis on the effigy and try to make it attractive. For the last 10 years we have been roping in artisans from Sunakhala to make the effigy,” he adds.
Much like other puja committees, safety and security of the spectators is a priority for the organisers here too. “We adhere to all the safety guidelines. The Nayagarh mishap and the Kerala tragedy have been an eye opener and we take every measure to avoid any mishap,” says Naba.
Like every year, the Jharpada Durga Puja committee has made elaborate arrangements for Ravana Podi Utsav this time too. Given that Jharpada hosts one of the biggest Durga Pujas in the city, it also pumps in a lot of money in Ravana Podi Utsav. This year, the organisers will be coming up with a 40 feet tall effigy accompanied by a grand show of fireworks. Every year Jharpada attracts around 10,000 people and the organisers are hopeful about drawing people in large numbers this time around too.
Jharpada Durga Puja committee secretary Dharanidhar Jena says, “The idea is to keep alive the age-old tradition of Ravana Podi. We have been organising Ravana Podi for the last nine years at the Jharpada school ground. This year, our Durga Puja budget is `40 lakh, while we would spend another `2 lakh on Ravana Podi. Although the police are always there to look into the proceedings and help the committees, we too deploy around 80 volunteers to keep a watch on unruly spectators in order to avoid any kind of untoward incident. Besides, we also store adequate water and are always equipped with fire extinguishers to combat any kind of mishap.”
Jatni too has gained popularity in recent times as a popular venue for Ravana Podi Utsav. Although Jatni doesn’t organise Durga Puja, Ravana Podi at the PHD ground near Jatni Police Station has become a big draw in the last four years.
That said, the committee on Vijaya Dashami organises a puja where devotees worship three village Godesses — Jatiani, Damunei and Jagulei followed by a homa and distribution of khichdi prasad.
Sudipta Ray who took the initiative to organise Ravana Podi supported by Ame Jatnibasi and Karma Mandir for the first time in 2015, says, “For years, people from this place had to go to far off places to watch Ravana Podi. So, I came up with a proposal and presented the idea of organising Ravana Podi in our area. We arrange for a 40-feet tall Ravana effigy followed by a fireworks show. And now people from faraway places come here to witness this grand affair. This year, we will observe Ravana Podi in a grand way and have themed the event Man Mein Bapu, since it is the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.”
Ray further says that they don’t spend much on fireworks. Instead, they felicitate personalities from different walks of lives and organise cultural events. “Our budget is `1.5 lakh so we can’t spend much on fireworks,” he dads
While Ravana Podi attracts lakhs in places likes Baramunda, Nayapalli and Jharapada, the festival is getting prominence in the outskirts of the city too. Koradakanta Puja Committee in recent times has come to prominence for organising a grand Ravana Podi Ustav. The committee’s secretary, Gyana Ranjan Jena, says, “We started Ravana Podi eight years ago. As many as 5,000-7,000 people visit the fair every year. We take adequate measures keeping in mind the safety of the visitors. We also make sure to deploy enough fire fighting personnel to avoid any untoward incident. Although we also hold a fireworks show, we don’t make it an elaborate affair because the burning effigy itself results in a lot of air pollution. Fireworks add to not only air pollution but also sound pollution, which we try to avoid.”
RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP