A large part of India’s festive calendar revolves around the war between Lord Ram and his nemesis, Ravana, the King of Lanka. Dussehra celebrates the slaying of Ravana whereas Diwali celebrates the return of Rama to Ayodhya after 14 years of being in exile.
The story of Ramayana is also the archetypal good-triumphs-over-evil narrative in Hindu culture. So, it would be fair to assume that Ravana would be a reviled figure here.
Even in Sri Lanka, there are no temples dedicated to Ravana. The only place where Ravana appears in Sri Lanka is outside of the border walls of a Shiva temple in Trincomalee where seems to be guarding the temple’s sanctum sanctorum.
However, in India, Ravana is worshipped in more places than you can imagine.
The Dashnan Temple in Kanpur is perhaps one of the most well-known ones. Located on the premises of another temple dedicated to Goddess Chinmastika is a life-size idol of Ravana. Chinmastika is said to be an incarnation of Shakti.
Commissioned in the 1860s by a local ruler, the temple remains closed for all but one day of the year. On Vijayadashmi (or Dussehra), the doors are opened, prayers are offered, and Ravana is hailed.
After the effigies of Ravana are burnt – as is the tradition on Dussehra – the temple doors are closed again only to be reopened the following year.
For a casual observer, it might be disconcerting to hear praises of Ravana on the day when the rest of the country celebrates his downfall. But even the most conservative reading of the Ramayana reveals that Ravana was no ordinary human.
In fact, the epic doesn’t shy away from highlighting Ravana’s good qualities. We know, thanks to the descriptions in Ramayana itself, that Ravana was an accomplished warrior who presided over a prosperous kingdom. We are also told he was a Shiva devotee and a proficient veena player. He is also considered to be the father of astrology, having codified the corelation between the movements of celestial bodies and human destiny.
Even as Ramayana heaps generous praise on Ravana, it does so with the intention of highlighting his hubris – arrogance and ego. This doesn’t, however, wipe out his accomplishments. And Ravana’s virtues are what his followers choose to celebrate, while also acknowledging his flaws.
However, Kanpur isn’t the only place where Ravana is worshipped.
One such temple is in Bisrakh, Uttar Pradesh, which is considered the birthplace of Ravana. Here, the festival of Navratri is considered a period of mourning. Ravana’s death isn’t celebrated but mourned. Ramleelas are not performed here, and Ravana is worshipped as a god.
Similarly, Ravana stands guard to a Shiva temple in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. It is said that Ravana, a Shiva devotee himself, had handpicked the site for the temple.
Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, is not a place that features on most people’s radar, but the district is home to a village that is literally named after the Lanka King. Ravangram is dedicated to Ravana and has a temple where locals seek his blessings.
But none of these places is as famous as Mandore, Rajasthan, where Ravana isn’t just worshipped as a god but rather as a son-in-law. It is believed that Ravana’s wife Mandodari hails from here and it is here that Ravana married her.
Here, too, Dussehra is a sombre occasion as locals consider themselves descendants of Ravana. During Pitru Paksha, the Hindu period of mourning for one’s ancestors, Mandore prays for Ravana and astrology classes are held as a hat-tip to the Father of Astrology.
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