Jaipur: Towering Ravana effigies, dazzling fireworks and festive fairs brought crowds together across Jaipur Tuesday for Dussehra, while Kota added a technological twist with a 105-foot effigy designed using 3D technology and mechanical features.Vidyadhar Nagar Stadium hosted Jaipur’s tallest Ravana effigy at 121 feet, with VDN Foundation organising a fair featuring rides and games for children. Deputy chief minister Diya Kumari attended the event.At Adarsh Nagar Dussehra Ground, the 105-foot Ravana and 90-foot Kumbhakarna effigies were the main attractions. Organised by Shri Ram Mandir Pranyas and Shri Sanatan Dharma Sabha, the celebrations featured amusement rides, food stalls and an elaborate fireworks display. Chief minister Bhajan Lal attended the event, along with Jaipur MP Manju Sharma and Jaipur Municipal Corporation Mayor Sunil Kothari.The fireworks included colourful displays resembling Niagara Falls, showers of golden coins and bursts of multicoloured lights. Fireworks shaped like flying fish and octopuses added to the spectacle. Ravana’s effigy was designed to emit flames from its eyes and fireballs from its mouth, with sparks emerging from its sword and shield. The burning was to begin with Lord Ram shooting a flaming arrow at Ravana’s navel.In Kota, a 105-foot Ravana effigy was erected with cranes at Vijayshri Manch in Dussehra Maidan. The Kumbhakarna and Meghnath effigies stood 80 feet tall each. Built around a bamboo framework, Ravana’s effigy featured a moving head and a rotating sword.“The effigy was designed in a manner that it will move 360 degrees and rotate its sword after it was set on fire,” an organiser said.In Mansarovar, the Sadbhavana Parivar Foundation held a two-day Sadbhavana Dussehra Mahotsav at the fairground on Aravali Marg. The second day featured the burning of a 70-foot Ravana effigy and a cultural evening. Bhajman Beats Band performed devotional songs with contemporary musical arrangements.From traditional rituals and symbolic victory over evil to high-tech effigies, fireworks and family entertainment, the celebrations blended the festival’s religious significance with a festive community spirit. Organisers in Mansarovar said their event also aimed to promote love, harmony and brotherhood.
