Dussehra celebrations across India on 20 October 2026 will see the burning of towering effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna, and Meghnad at venues spanning Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Among the most unusual attractions this year is Delhi's Pitampura, where a 30-foot cockroach effigy will be set ablaze — a quirky local tradition that has drawn considerable public curiosity. In contrast, a village in Madhya Pradesh will mark the occasion not by burning Ravana's effigy but by worshipping him.

Key Events City by City

In Ayodhya, the Rajendra Niwas Ramlila Committee has erected a 32-foot Ravana effigy, with the burning ceremony set for 10 pm. Notably, Muslim artisans have been entrusted with crafting the effigy this year — a detail highlighted by committee patron Prabhakar Mishra as a symbol of communal harmony.

In Lucknow, a 75-foot mechanised Ravana effigy stands at the Ramlila Maidan. Organisers have said the effigy carries a message against what they described as 'anti-national', 'anti-Sanatan' elements, and 'intellectual Naxalism'. In Dehradun, the burning will take place at Hindu National Inter College in Laxman Chowk, with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami scheduled to attend the event organised by the Laxman Chowk Welfare Society.

In Kashipur, a 55-foot Ravana and a 50-foot Kumbhakarna effigy will be burnt at 7:30 pm, followed by fireworks. Srinagar will host its historic Dussehra celebrations featuring a 50-foot Ravana effigy — reportedly for the first time — alongside 45-foot Kumbhakarna and 35-foot Meghnad effigies at the city's Ramlila Ground.

Ranchi and Patna Gear Up for Large Gatherings

In Ranchi, the Punjabi Hindu Biradari will organise the traditional Ravana Dahan at Morabadi Maidan. Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar is scheduled to attend. The effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna, and Meghnad stand at 70 feet, 65 feet, and 60 feet respectively, making them among the tallest in the country this year. Ramlila performances, cultural programmes, and fireworks are among the highlights.

In Patna, preparations at the historic Gandhi Maidan are complete, and authorities are expecting a large turnout for the annual Ravana Dahan ceremony.

The Village That Worships Ravana

In Bhatkhedi (Ravan Wali) village in Rajgarh district, Madhya Pradesh, residents follow a centuries-old tradition of worshipping Ravana and Kumbhakarna rather than burning their effigies. Villagers believe Ravana fulfils their wishes, and devotees offer prayers and prasad upon receiving blessings. Ahead of Dussehra, the idols are freshly repainted, and on the day itself, performers enacting Lord Ram and Lakshman symbolically touch the idols with spears as villagers pray for prosperity.

This comes amid a broader pattern of regional Dussehra traditions diverging sharply from the mainstream — reflecting the festival's deep cultural layering across the subcontinent.

What the Celebrations Reflect

The scale and diversity of this year's Dussehra events — from Srinagar's first-ever large-format Ramlila to Pitampura's cockroach effigy and Rajgarh's Ravana worship — underline how the festival, while rooted in the Ramayana, has evolved into a canvas for local identity, civic messaging, and communal expression. With senior political figures attending in Dehradun and Ranchi, the celebrations carry both cultural and public significance. As effigies go up in flames across the country tonight, all eyes will be on whether the record-height Ranchi installation claims the unofficial tallest-effigy honours of 2026.