Kota festive spirits peak as record 233-foot Ravan effigy goes up in flames

Kota (Rajasthan): The festive spirit of Navratri reached a crescendo at the Dusshera Ground in Kota on Thursday with the effigy of Ravan, standing true to its name demon king at a ‘world record’ 233 feet, going up in flames in front of a sea of people brimming with hopes of the good prevailing over the evil, and the victory of light over darkness.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, the three-time sitting MP from Kota, and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma inaugurated the 132nd National Dusshera Fair in a grand ceremony here, which was followed by the burning of the giant-size effigy of Ravan, along with 60-foot-tall effigies of Kumbhkaran and Meghnath on either side.

The effigies were set on fire with an arrow shot by the head of the erstwhile royal family of Kota, Ijyaraj Singh, who reached the Dussehra Ground leading a procession of Lord Laxminarayan.

Representatives from the Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records handed over a certificate to the organisers, declaring the Ravan effigy as the tallest ever -- 233 feet -- created for the annual festival, surpassing the record set in Delhi, where a 210-foot effigy of the demon king was reduced to ashes in 2024.

Addressing the large gathering, Chief Minister Sharma extended Vijayadashmi greetings to the people and said the occasion reflects the victory of justice over injustice.

“The Kota Dusshera is a combination of our cultural legacy, religious beliefs and traditions. At 233 feet, the effigy of Ravan has set a new record this year,” he said.

“The recent GST reforms by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have doubled the happiness of people ahead of the festival season. The GST slab on handicrafts has been reduced to 5 per cent to encourage artisans,” the chief minister said, as he urged people to purchase Swadashi (indigenous) items to promote the message of ‘vocal for local’.

Birla also extended his greetings the people on the occasion of Vijayadashmi while addressing the event, which was also attended by Rajasthan ministers Madan Dilawar, Heeralal Nagar and MLA Kalpna Devi, among others.

Ambala-based artisan Tejendra Chauhan (58) along with his 25-member team worked for four months to design and prepare the effigies of Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnath.

The Ravan effigy was made of more than 10.5 tonnes of steel with a total weight of 13.5 tonnes. The shining attire of Ravan was prepared with about 4,000 metres of velvet cloth, while the 25 feet face was made of fibre glass weighing three quintals.

Nearly 200 kg of rope was used to construct the skeleton of the effigy with bamboo, Chauhan said.