States » NorthPosted at: Oct 20 2026 8:54PM


221-foot Ravana effigy goes up in flames as thousands throng Panchkula for Dussehra celebrations

Panchkula, Oct 20 (UNI) A towering 221-foot Ravana effigy was set ablaze amid spectacular fireworks at Shalimar Ground in Panchkula on Tuesday as thousands of spectators from across the Tricity gathered to celebrate Dussehra, marking the symbolic triumph of good over evil.
The massive effigy emerged as the centrepiece of the celebrations, drawing enthusiastic crowds from Panchkula, Chandigarh and Mohali. Spectators were seen capturing the dramatic Ravana Dahan and fireworks on their mobile phones.
The festival was jointly organised by the Shri Mata Mansa Devi Dussehra Committee and Shri Adarsh Ramlila Dramatic Club. Senior RSS functionary Prem Goyal attended the celebrations as chief guest. Rajya Sabha MP Rekha Sharma, Panchkula Deputy Commissioner Satpal Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police Aditi Singh, Chief Minister's Political Secretary Tarun Bhandari, Panchkula Mayor Shyamlal Bansal and Haryana Scheduled Castes Commission Chairperson Banto Kataria were among the prominent dignitaries present.
The celebrations also featured cultural performances, with Haryanvi singer Tejpal entertaining the gathering.
Dussehra Committee Chairman Vishnu Goyal, President Navraj Mittal Johnny, General Secretary Sandeep Gupta and Senior Vice-President Amit Goyal welcomed the guests. Vishnu Goyal and Navraj Mittal said elaborate arrangements had been made to turn the celebrations into a major attraction for residents of the Tricity, with the 221-foot Ravana effigy and fireworks forming the highlights of the programme.
"Dussehra is an important festival of Indian culture and religious tradition. Ravana Dahan symbolises the victory of good over evil and truth over falsehood," committee General Secretary Sandeep Gupta said.
He said the organisers had sought to combine the grandeur of the celebrations with the preservation of religious and cultural traditions.
SPS Construction India Managing Director S.P. Singla, Sunlit Group Chairman Ramesh Gupta and United Biotech's Dr Manan Gakkhar also attended the event.
Several committee members, including Satpal Garg, Pradeep Kansal, Deepak Goyal, Divya Goyal, Tilak Bansal, Sandeep Singla, Vinod Garg, Gyan Singh, Raj Mittal, Bhushan Garg, Ajay Aggarwal, Rakesh Gupta, Kuldeep Gupta, Mukesh Sangla, Pankaj and Vijender Garg, were present. UNI KK CDS
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