Prayagraj all geared up to take out great procession to honour King Ravana

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Sept 26 (ANI): In the world where the demon king Ravana is considered as a symbol of arrogance and evil, the holy city witnesses every year a grand procession of Ravana, which is carried out with the musical instruments before the Ram Leela.
As per the tradition in India, people take out a procession of Lord Rama and then present Ram Reela to relive the legends of the great epic Ramayana, which recounted the story of Hindu god Rama since his birth till his reunion with his wife Sita after his victory over the king of Lanka -- Ravana.
When the whole country takes out processions to glorify Lord Rama here in Prayagraj, the 'Katra Ram Leela Community' takes out the processions in hounour of Ravana.
Speaking to ANI, Rakesh Chaurasia, secretary, Ram Leela Committee, said: "The Katra Ram Leela Community is the only community in north India which takes out the procession of Ravana in his honour and then we present Ram Leela of Lord Rama."
"Ravana was a descendant of Rishi Bhardwaj and we are also his descendants because of which we first take out the procession of Ravana," he added.
The procession attempts to show Ravana's family and their grandeur. The procession starts from Bhardwaj Ashram and moves the whole night in Katra region, and then rests. With this, the Dussehra celebration begins in Prayagraj.
Dussehra is majorly celebrated across India, marking the end of the nine-day Durga Puja. In the north and northwestern states, Dussehra is celebrated by conducting pujas and plays of the events of the Ramayana over the nine-day 'Navaratri' and burning effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad along with fireworks on the tenth day to commemorate the destruction of evil.
This year, according to Hindu calendar Navaratri begins on September 29 and will end on October 7. Dussehra or Vijayadashami is on October 8. (ANI)