Dussehra 2026: Why This Rajasthan Village Doesn't Burn Ravana, Follows 100-Year-Old Tradition

Bhilwara: On the day of Dussehra, the victory of good over evil is celebrated by burning the effigy of Ravana across the country. But the way of celebrating Dussehra is completely different in Ropa village of Shahpura area of Bhilwara district of Rajasthan. Here Ravana is not burnt, but he is symbolically killed with a bow and arrow. This 100 years old tradition is still followed with full enthusiasm in the village. This is the reason why Ropa village is also called 'Ravana's village' in the surrounding areas.

Why is Ravana's effigy not burnt in Ropa village?

Usually, on Dussehra, the message of victory of good over evil is given by burning the effigy of Ravana. But in Ropa village there is a different kind of belief towards Ravana. Here Ravana is not only seen as a villain but also as a scholar. For this reason, the villagers follow the tradition of killing Ravana instead of burning his effigy.

A permanent cement statue of Ravana, about 10 feet high, is installed in Ravana Chowk of the village. It is said that this statue is about 100 years old. Every year before Dussehra, the village people paint it and then preparations for the traditional event begin. 

For how many days is Dussehra celebrated?

Dussehra-related programmes are organised for two days in Ropa village. The ritual of Lanka Dahan is performed a day before Dussehra. For this, a procession of Thakurji is taken out from Lord Charbhujanath temple. After this, bidding is done to select the volunteers to play the roles of Ram and Lakshman.

Children dressed as Hanuman also take part in the event and proceed towards Ravana Chowk. A symbolic staging of Lanka Dahan is performed there. This time also this ritual was performed on Monday evening. The main event is organised the next day i.e. on Dussehra. During this, children and youth take part in the costumes of Ramayana characters. The child playing the role of Lord Rama symbolically kills Ravana with a bow and arrow. A large number of people from nearby villages also come to see this unique event.

What are the beliefs of the people related to the statue of Ravana?

The idol of Ravana in Ropa village is not limited to the celebration of Dussehra only. Local people believe that by making a wish and praying here, one can get relief from problems. The people of the village worship and make offerings in front of the idol in the hope of getting their wishes fulfilled.

According to Pandit ji, Ravana is respected as a scholar in the village. The tradition of keeping the statue permanently installed and symbolically killing it every year is linked to this local belief.

Which incident is still in discussion today?

A story related to the statue of Ravana is also quite popular in the village. According to the local people, there was once a severe drought in the area. People were worried due to lack of rain. Then the villagers stayed awake the whole night near the statue of Ravana and prayed. People claim that it rained heavily the next morning. After this his faith in the idol became deeper.

Although this incident is based on the beliefs and experiences of the local people, the importance of village tradition and religious belief can be understood from it.

This tradition of Ropa village shows that Dussehra is not celebrated in only one way in India. Here, by performing the ritual of killing Ravana instead of burning Ravana, people are still keeping their historical beliefs, local culture and almost a century old tradition alive.