Ahmedabad: After nine nights of revelry, Tuesday dawned to a different rhythm. It was Dussehra, and the city woke up to the familiar aroma of hot fafda and jalebis, the crackle of havan fires, temple bells and families stepping out to mark one of the most auspicious days on the Hindu calendar. From weapon worship and housewarming ceremonies to vehicle deliveries and Ravan Dahan, the day blended faith, tradition and festivity.For the police force and the Rajput community, it was a day of shastra puja. At the police headquarters, city police commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut joined senior officers in the traditional worship ceremony, while several Rajput groups organised similar events across the city.Showrooms bustled with customers eager to take their shiny new wheels onto the roads but not before adorning the vehicles with garlands, marking them with vermillion and cracking the customary coconut.In Rupal village near Gandhinagar, an age-old tradition drew thousands of devotees. On the final night of Navratri, the famed Palli procession wound its way through the village with thousands of devotees following.“The tradition is centuries old. People from all communities come together to build the wooden palanquin and participate in the procession. Devotees offer ghee after the fulfilment of a vow or as an auspicious gesture,” said Kanu Patel, manager of the temple trust. He added that chief minister Bhupendra Patel visited the temple on Sunday.
Palli procession on Dussehra in Gandhinagar’s Rupal village
The ghee collected during the procession is later distributed among the underprivileged. Now, the city will take a short breather before diving into Diwali cleaning and shopping.
