Dussehra 2026: why Bisrakh village prays for Ravan instead of burning him

On Dussehra, Tuesday, October 20, 2026, as grounds across North India prepared to burn effigies of Ravan in the evening, the village of Bisrakh in Greater Noida, in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar district, kept to its custom of not burning one. According to local tradition, Bisrakh is the birthplace of Ravan, and residents mark the day with prayers and rituals instead. Devotees offer prayers to Lord Shiva and perform rites for the peace of Ravan's soul, according to reports published on the festival day. A report the same day also described a temple in Kanpur where devotees visit on Vijayadashami to offer prayers, flowers and oil lamps.

Dussehra is one of the most widely celebrated Hindu festivals. In the tradition of the Ramayana, it marks Lord Ram's victory over Ravan, the king of Lanka, and is celebrated as the triumph of good over evil. In much of North India, the day ends with Ramlila performances and the burning of tall effigies of Ravan, often with those of his brother Kumbhakaran and son Meghnad.

Bisrakh's practice shows that the festival is not one single ritual everywhere. In the Ramayana tradition, Ravan is not only a villain; he is also described as a great scholar and a devoted worshipper of Lord Shiva. Communities that link themselves to him by birthplace or descent remember that side of the story. In Bisrakh, according to the village's tradition, the day is one of mourning for a native son, not of celebration of his defeat. Residents' explanations, as reported, include respect for Ravan as a devotee of Shiva and a belief that burning his effigy could displease Shiva.

These are matters of local belief and custom. The link between Bisrakh and Ravan's birth rests on tradition, not on historical or archaeological evidence. Reporting on it is not a statement that one way of observing the festival is right and another wrong. India's festivals have always carried many regional and community versions, and Dussehra itself is celebrated differently in Mysuru, Kullu, Bastar and Bengal, among other places.

For readers, the story is a reminder of how living traditions work. They are passed down through families and temples, explained in local terms, and kept alive by repeating them year after year. Bisrakh's quiet Dussehra stands next to the loud celebrations in nearby Delhi and Noida, and both are part of the same festival.

Short-term: Bisrakh's custom draws visitors and media attention every Dussehra, bringing people to the village temple and spreading awareness of the many ways the festival is observed.

Long-term: As Greater Noida grows into a dense urban area, practices like Bisrakh's depend on residents and temple custodians continuing them. Documenting such local traditions helps keep a record of India's regional festival culture.

Who is affected: Residents of Bisrakh and the temple's custodians, devotees who visit on Dussehra, scholars and students of Indian festivals and folk traditions, and visitors interested in regional customs.

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