210-ft tall Ravana effigy goes up in flames

Chandigarh, Oct 19 (IANS) Dussehra was celebrated across Punjab and Haryana with 210-ft tall effigy of Ravana, said to be the tallest in the country, going up in flames in Panchkula city on Friday. The festival symbolising the victory of good over evil saw many effigies of the mythological demon king being consigned to flames in many parts of Chandigarh and the adjoining towns of Panchkula and Mohali. Organizers said the 210-ft tall effigy of Ravana weighed 6,200 kg and cost around Rs 30 lakh. It took eco-friendly crackers to torch the giant effigy prepared by a team of 40 workers in over five months. The "tallest" Ravana did not accompany Kumbhakaran and Meghnad, organisers said. Festive spirit prevailed across Punjab and Haryana, including Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Bathinda, Moga, Jalandhar and Gurdaspur, Ambala, Hisar, Rohtak and Karnal, and in Chandigarh.
--IANS vg/prs