CHANDIGARH: There will be no ‘burning down of evil’ this year on Dussehra as permission was not granted. Ramlila too will be a low-key affair this year with only a dozen Ramlilas being staged instead of the usual 60.
Only 19 Ramlila groups were approved in Chandigarh. While some of them started conducting Ramlila from Wednesday, most of them started Thursday and some started from Saturday.
According to sources, some of the Ramlilas that have been granted permission are not being staged as the approval came only on October 13, a day before the beginning of the Ramlila season.
Sanjay a Ramlila Actor, who stages Ramlila in Sector 7, said, “No permission was received this year so Dussehra is not possible.”
Amit Kumar, who is part of Chandigarh Ramlila Committee in Sector 22B, said, “No permission has been received this year for Dussehra. Even the permission for Ramlila came last minute. We started collection late and as a result our Ramlila would begin from Saturday. Making such big effigies will not be possible in such short time. So Dusshera will be less festive this time.”
Every year Dussehra is a grand affair in the city and effigies worth lakhs are made of Ravana Kumbhkaran and Meghnath. They are burnt on Dussehra to symbolise victory of good over evil. In the last few years, artisans from other states have been coming down to city to make these effigies.
Even Ramlilas are being staged according to standard operation procedures (SOP) issued by the district magistrate. The timings now are from 8pm to 12am. (the site must be cleared by 12.30am).