Dussehra: Giant effigies of demons go up in flames in India

Crowds in New Delhi watched giant effigies of demons go up in flames on Tuesday, as India marked Dussehra, the Hindu festival of good over evil. Fireworks lit the sky as the figures of Ravana, his son Meghnad and his brother Kumbhakarna burned. In Hindu tradition, the ritual recalls the defeat of Ravana by the god Rama.

Actors dressed as Rama and his brother staged the final moments of the battle. The prime minister joined the spectators at a ground in the city and shot an arrow from a bow. Hindus observe nine days of ceremonies, rituals and fasts, which end on the tenth day.

The festival is also called Vijayadashmi, from ‘Vijay’, meaning ‘victory’, and ‘Dashmi’, meaning ‘tenth day’.