An 80-foot effigy of Ravana will be incinerated by remote control at Gandhi Maidan, Patna, for Dussehra 2025. Monitoring will be conducted from 49 locations with 103 officers, 128 CCTV cameras, and 10 watchtowers. The general public will enter through Gates number 4-12.
Patna: Preparations for Ravana Dahan 2025 at Gandhi Maidan are almost complete. The district administration has made special arrangements for security and crowd management to ensure the festival is celebrated peacefully and smoothly. This year, effigies of Ravana (80 feet tall), Meghnath (75 feet), and Kumbhakarna (70 feet) will be burned. To prevent any untoward incidents, the administration has deployed CCTV cameras, watchtowers, and additional police forces.
Security Arrangements at the Ravana Dahan Site
To maintain law and order at the Ravana Dahan site, the district administration has deployed 103 police and magistrates at a total of 49 locations. To monitor these officials, 128 CCTV cameras have been installed, and 10 watchtowers have been erected. Police and Civil Defence personnel will be stationed on the watchtowers, while an SDRF team will be active at the main gate.
Additionally, temporary control rooms and a temporary police station have been established. For any emergency or information, the District Control Room numbers 0612-2219810/2219234 can be contacted. The administration's goal is to ensure that despite the large crowd, no accidents occur and people can enjoy the event safely.
Entry and Crowd Management at Gandhi Maidan
District Magistrate Tyagarajan S.M. visited the site to review the preparations. He instructed officials to implement crowd management, traffic, and law and order standards according to the SOP. For the general public's entry into Gandhi Maidan, Gates number 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 12 will be opened. Media personnel will enter through Gate number 13.
Police officials also ensured that the flow of the crowd remains controlled and that adequate arrangements for parking and exit are in place. Teams deployed at the event site have also prepared emergency routes and aid centers to enable immediate action in any unforeseen situation.
Preparation of Ravana, Meghnath, and Kumbhakarna Effigies
This time at Gandhi Maidan, an 80-foot tall effigy of Ravana will be burned. The effigies of Meghnath and Kumbhakarna are 75 and 70 feet tall, respectively. Considering the possibility of rain, clear varnish has been applied to the effigies, which will allow water to run off if it rains, ensuring no obstruction to the burning.
The process of burning the effigies will be controlled remotely. To maintain the stability of the effigies, an internal ladder made of iron pipes has been installed. This time, a team of 15 artists has worked hard on the construction of the effigies. The total budget for Ravana Dahan is 35 lakh rupees, which includes firecrackers worth approximately 5 lakh rupees.
Administration's Appeal to the General Public
The district administration has also appealed to the general public to use only the designated routes and gates. To avoid crowds, it would be advisable to arrive at the venue in advance. Officials stated that full attention will be paid to security, and the administration is prepared to handle any type of untoward incident.
Furthermore, weekly markets on nearby routes will remain closed during the event. The administration states that these security measures and preparations will ensure the Ravana Dahan program concludes peacefully and safely, allowing everyone to enjoy the festival securely.
