Radha Krishna Temple in Allen closes its Navratri season Tuesday with a Dussehra celebration headlined by the burning of a 27-foot Ravan effigy and fireworks.
The event at 1450 N. Watters Road begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20 with Dussehra Yantra and Ayudh Pooja. The worship ceremony is associated with seeking blessings for wisdom and honoring the tools people use in daily work and study, according to the temple's event page.
Cultural performances and the Ravan Dahan follow at 6:30 p.m. Garba and Dandiya dancing starts at 7:30 p.m. and is open to all, though a valid ticket is required for Garba hall entry.
Dussehra, also called Vijayadashami, marks the conclusion of the nine-night Navratri festival. The holiday commemorates the triumph of the deity Shree Ram over the demon king Ravan and is also associated with the goddess Maa Durga's victory over Mahishasur, the temple said in a blog post.
The Ravan Dahan is the evening's visual centerpiece. A towering effigy of the ten-headed Ravan is set ablaze in a display the temple describes as carrying both an outward and inward meaning.
Each of Ravan's ten heads represents a negative tendency, including anger, greed, pride, attachment and jealousy. Burning the effigy symbolizes overcoming those qualities.
The temple also posted on X that the evening will include a Ramleela performance among its highlights.
As we reported Oct. 17, the temple held a Durga Ashtami fire ceremony Sunday as part of the broader Navratri observance. Tuesday's Dussehra celebration closes that season.
Tickets for Garba and Dandiya are available through the temple's website.
