Written by Brendan DabhiAhmedabad | October 3, 2025 04:35 AM IST 3 min readThe programme of Raavan Dahan and Ram Lila is organised at a cost of about Rs 60 lakh, said Gupta, adding that 25,000 to 30,000 people gather to watch these cultural events.It is a day for which residents of this city in Gujarat, like many in different parts of the country, look forward to the whole year. Preparations begin weeks in advance, funds worth several lakhs are pumped in. So, when rain began lashing Gandhidham in Kutch on September 28, many prayed for it to be a matter of a day or two, giving adequate time to the organisers to complete Dussehra preparations.However, as Dussehra arrived on Thursday, there was worse in store: The effigies of demon king Raavan, his brother Kumbhakarna, and son Meghnad fell down due to the impact of the rain and high-speed winds accompanying it.Crestfallen, the organisers tried to restore the effigies to their original position but to no avail. The crowds, meanwhile, lay eagerly in wait.The organisers then took a unique, unprecedented call: Set the three effigies on fire in a prone position.The scene played out at Deendayal Port Trust (DPT) ground, where the 65-feet-tall effigy of Raavan and 60 feet each of Kumbhakarna and Meghnad collapsed on the day of Dussehra.In a video shared by Gandhidham resident Dr Rajesh Maaheshwari, organisers from the Shri Agrawal Samaj were seen attempting to raise the three effigies with the help of cranes, hoping that at least the Raavan would stand upright for the traditional burning of his effigy. However, as the rains continued, this proved to be an impossible task. Speaking on this, Suresh Gupta of the Agrawal Samaj told The Indian Express, “We have been witnessing very heavy rain and due to the winds, the Raavan and other two effigies collapsed. It was not possible to erect them again and so, we conducted the Raavan Dahan in the same position.”Gupta, who owns a logistics business of transport and warehousing, said that the Agrawal Samaj had been organising Raavan Dahan for the last 53 years in the city. He said the effigy collapse had taken place only once in the past, several years ago during a storm.Story continues below this adGupta said that the artisans had invested two months in constructing all three effigies.He said the community used to organise Raavan Dahan at the railway colony earlier, on the periphery of Gandhidham, but the space did not allow for more than 3,000 people to witness the burning of effigies. Around three years ago, they moved the venue to the DPT ground, which is midway between Gandhidham and Adipur, both of which were joined to form the Gandhidham Municipal Corporation earlier this year.The programme of Raavan Dahan and Ram Lila is organised at a cost of about Rs 60 lakh, said Gupta, adding that 25,000 to 30,000 people gather to watch these cultural events.Gupta said the rain fury has left the local residents in a despondent mood with the Ram Lila venue also being shifted due to waterlogging. However, the fact that the effigies were eventually set aflame, even though in a prone position, gave them some semblance of a celebration. Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:ahmedabad