While the country gears up to burn towering Ravana effigies on October 2, a village in Uttar Pradesh observes Dussehra in a unique way. The locals here worship Ravana, the demon king from the epic Ramayana.
They believe that Ravana was born in Bisrakh, near Greater Noida, and consider him an ancestor and a great scholar, or "Maha Brahman". Instead of burning his effigy, they offer prayers, a tradition followed for generations. Many also believe that whoever makes a wish here, it doesn't go unfulfilled.
The Shiv Mandir in the Bisrakh village is also identified as the Ravana temple. Not long ago, a head statue of Ravana was also installed in the temple.
Ramdas, the temple's head priest, said, "This is Ravana's birthplace and the ashram of Rishi Brahma and Pulastya Muni. Vijayadashami is celebrated here, but Ravana's effigy is never burned. We place his idol before the yajna and offer prayers instead."
Krishna Kumar, a resident, said, "We consider Ravana like our grandfather or father. That's why we do not burn his effigy here."
Another villager, Sanjeev, added, "Ravana worshipped this Shiva Lingam here. This is an ancient Shiva temple. Vijayadashami is celebrated here, but no effigy is ever burned."
The Bisrakh village was earlier known as Vishveshara, named after Ravana's father Vishrava. It is believed that in the Treta Yuga, Rishi Vishrava was born here, and he established a Shiva Lingam, which Ravana is also believed to have worshipped.
The temple has gained attention on social media, drawing visitors from across the country. Girish, a visitor from Greater Noida, said, "This is my first time here. I had heard a lot about this temple, that Ravana was born here, and that this Shiva Lingam was manifested by Brahmaji. That's why we came here. I've been learning about it for the past one and a half years."
A family from Kerala, who discovered the temple online, also paid a visit to the shrine. Peeta, one of the visitors, said they came along with her mother, husband, and sister, and added that they were fascinated to learn about the temple's ancient history.
This is not the only place where Ravana is worshipped. Kanpur's Dashanan Temple opens its doors for devotees on Dussehra. People chant "Jai Lankesh" and "Lankapati Naresh ki jai ho" on this day. It is said that Ravana is worshipped as a guardian of Lord Shiva and Goddess Chinmastika in this temple.
Ravana's idol remains covered and is only revealed for worship on this special day. For the rest of the year, the temple stays closed.
