When Ravana’s effigies are
burned in the country on the occasion of Dussehra, the residents of the small
village in Maharashtra commemorate Dussehra in a unique way by performing the
ritual of “aarti” of the demon king Ravana. 

A number of residents of the
Sangola village of the Akola district of Maharashtra believe that they owe
their employment and their ability to sustain their livelihoods to the
blessings of Ravana. They further believe that the prevalence of peace and
happiness in their village is also due to the demon king. According to the
residents, the village has a 300-year old tradition of worshiping Ravana for
his intelligence and ascetic attributes. 

Also Read | Why India celebrates Dussehra

A massive black stone statue
of the 10-headed demon king is located in the middle of the village. 

Though the residents of the
village have faith in Lord Ram, they also believe in Ravana and they do not set
fire to his effigies like the rest of the country does, according to what
Bhivaji Dhakre, a local resident of the village told PTI on Wednesday.

Many of the villagers
consider the demon king to be a scholar and are of the opinion that he abducted
Sita for reasons that are entirely political, and also preserved her sanctity,
Dhakre further stated.

Every year, on Dussehra,
people from all over the country come to see the statue of the king of Lanka,
pay homage and make prayers, according to the local residents of the village.
According to Subodh Hatole, a resident of the village, many people of the
village are employed “with
the blessings of Mahatma Ravan”. He further said, “On the day of Dussehra, we
worship the statue of Ravan with a maha-aarti”.

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 Haribhau Lakhade, a
local temple priest, stated that while the rest of the country celebrate the
triumph of good over evil by burning the effigies of Ravana on Dussehra, the
locals in Sangola celebrate the demon king for his knowledge and ascetic
attributes. He, whose family has been a worshiper of Ravana for a long time,
believes that happiness, peace and contentment is due to Ravana.