The demon king Ravana is worshipped at a temple in Lucknow on Vijayadashami or Dussehra, despite being killed throughout the country on this day.
At the Char Dham temple in the old city area at Rani Katra, there is a 'Ravana Darbar' where some people worship him, according to Siyaram Awasthi, a priest at the temple, who spoke to PTI Videos.
The temple, which is around 135 years old, was constructed with the Ravana Darbar present, as mentioned by the priest.
"The Char Dham temple was built by Kundan Lal Kunj Bihari Lal and now his sixth generation is managing it. In this temple, all four Dhams are there and it is also known as Chhoti Kashi. We have Ravana Darbar here also," the priest said.
He said that people who come here also visit this darbar, where Ravana is worshipped on Vijayadashami.
"It (Ravana Darbar) is there for people to realise what type of deeds they want to do in their lives which can lead them to hell or heaven," Awasthi said.
"Here Ravana's entire court is present. While Ravana's ministers are seen sitting on both sides in the court, the demon king is seated at the top," he said.
Sure, here is the reworded text:
The temple contains structures of Ram Setu and Lanka. To access Ravana's court, one must pass through the Ram Setu.
Kumbhakaran is lying beside Ravana in the Darbar, with Meghnad seated next to them. The priest mentioned that Vibhishana is also present.
The slaying of Ravana by Lord Ram on Vijayadashami is a significant aspect of Dussehra, which commemorates the triumph of good over evil.
Vandana Pandey, a frequent visitor to the temple, remarked that Ravana was a learned scholar and his wrongdoings led to his fate.
"Even after his death, Lord Ram asked his brother to take some insights from him. Praying Ravana means praying for his intellect and also shunning bad deeds," she said.
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