Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath celebrated Dussehra first time after taking charge of the office and burnt the effigy of the demon king Ravana in Gorakhpur.
He has been participating in the Dussehra festival for many years and this was his first Dussehra as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.
People from different walks of life across the state celebrated the occasion by exchanging greetings and pleasantries.
Durga Puja, which is held during the auspicious period of Navaratra, also witnessed its conclusion today.
Bengali women indulged themselves in the ritual of ‘Sindoor Khela’ (playing with vermilion) at different Durga pandals.
In state capital Lucknow, ‘Sindoor-Khela’ was held in different pandals including Bengali Club and Youngmen’s Association, Jogendra Pathak Road and Rabindrapalli.
In the afternoon, after the ‘Sindoor-Khela’ was over, the idols of Goddess Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati and Lord Ganesh and Kartik were taken out in a procession for immersion.
As the procession moved, the drum beaters (dhaakis) played out various traditional tunes and mesmerised passers- by.
Effigies of demon king Ravan, Kumbhakaran and Meghnad went up in flames.
