PM, Sonia Gandhi participate in Dussehra celebrations in capital India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, and Vice President Hamid Ansari participated in the Dussehra celebrations in the capital. At Delhi’s popular Ramlila Maidan and Subash Maidan tens of thousands of people converged on this occasion to witness one of the biggest commemorations of Dussehra when effigies of demon King Ravan, his son Meghnath and brother Kumbhakarn. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi who took part in the celebrations at Ramlila Maidan, worshipped Lord Rama and his brother Lakshmana, as part of the annual practice here. Both the leaders picked up the bows and pointed their arrows towards the effigies and the three effigies were burnt. The bursting of fireworks also added to the spectacle of the function. Prime Minister Dr. Singh and Sonia Gandhi joined Vice President Hamid Ansari as they visited the function at the Subash Maidan and witnessed the burning of effigies along with a large number of people converging from different parts of the Capital on this occasion. Meanwhile, people elsewhere in the national capital celebrated Dussehra festival on Monday evening by visiting various venues where effigies were erected as part of annual ritual. At all major venues, apart from the burning of giant effigies, special stalls selling a variety of snacks also fascinated a lot of people who had come with their children and other family members on this special day of the year, when most of the offices remain closed.