Heavy rainfall on Thursday dampened Dussehra celebrations across the national capital, drenching effigies of Ravan and leading to the cancellation of multiple major events, including those scheduled with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The sudden downpour disrupted the festive spirit.
PM Modi was set to attend the Raavan Dahan organized by the Indraprastha Ramleela Committee. However, rain forced organizers to cancel the event. Suresh Bindal, committee president, confirmed, “The prime minister could not attend due to the rain. The effigies were damaged but later ignited in the presence of Union Minister Harsh Malhotra, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, and MLA Arvinder Singh Lovely.
Similarly, Amit Shah could not participate in the Keshav Ramleela Committee’s event at DDA Ground, Netaji Subhash Place, Pitampura. BJP national general secretary Arun Singh took his place as the chief guest for the effigy burning. Ashok Goyal Devaraha, committee president, expressed optimism, stating they would extend an invitation to Shah for next year’s Dahan.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) noted significant rainfall across the city. By 5:30 pm, the area of Pitampura had recorded 17.5 mm of rainfall, Ridge bore 15.4 mm, and Mayur Vihar saw 9.5 mm. This heavy downpour caused considerable distress among the event organizers.
Organizers throughout Delhi faced challenges to protect the effigies from the rain. Members of the Adarsh Ramleela Committee in Ashok Vihar recounted their efforts, stating, “We tried to cover it with plastic, but most of it still got drenched. It seems Indra Dev wanted Ravan to drown rather than burn this year.”
At Pitampura’s Aryan Heritage Foundation, organizer Anil Garg lamented, “Around 10% of the effigy got drenched despite plastic covers. There was waterlogging, but we hope the Dahan goes well.” Efforts to dry out the effigies became a priority so that the show could go on despite the rain.
Likewise, in East Delhi, Nitin Gupta, treasurer of the Hanumant Dharmik Ramleela Committee, shared his concern, saying, “The rain came as a shock and delayed preparations. We are now using petrol and diesel to ensure the effigy catches fire.” The struggle to continue with Dussehra festivities illustrates the resilience of the organizers, who remain committed to sustaining cultural traditions even in adverse weather.
