The Salt Lake Sanskritik Sansad Committee and Sanmarg burned a 50-foot-tall Ravana and 40-foot-tall effigies of Meghnad and Kumbhakaran at the Central Park (Salt Lake), Kolkata, in keeping with the tradition of burning the tallest effigy in the city of joy during Dussehra. By commemorating the triumph of good over evil, this event’s primary goal was to create a lively link between the community and West Bengal’s rich culture and traditions.

Hindus celebrate Dussehra by holding special prayer services and making food offerings to the gods at their homes or in temples all around India. Along with massive parades and outdoor fairs, they also burn the demon king Ravana’s effigies on bonfires at night. Goddess Durga statues are submerged in water.

The event was attended by Sourav Ganguly, President of BCCI, Firhad Bobby Hakim, Hon’ble Mayor of Kolkata, Sujit Bose, Minister of State for Fire, Vivek Gupta, MLA, Pradeep Todi, President of Salt Lake Sanskritik Sansad, Lalit Beriwala, Margdarshak of Salt Lake Sanskritik Sansad, Nitin Singhi, Secretary of Salt Lake Sanskritik Sansad, Ashok Todi, Chairman Lux Industries Ltd., and many other eminent personalities.

Thousands of followers flocked to the scene to watch the annual ceremony of burning an image of the demon king Ravan.

Priyanka Dutta