New Delhi: Marking the victory of good over evil, the Dussehra festival was celebrated all over the country with gaiety and fervour.
The nine-day festival concluded this evening with the burning of effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarn and Meghnad.
In the national capital, President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, BJP President Amit Shah, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi were among the dignitaries who witnessed the event at Subash Maidan in the national capital.
President Pranab Mukherjee appealed to people to leave aside their differences and maintain India’s unity and integrity and contribute to the country’s development.
“Dussehra is a symbol of our ancient culture and we should forget our differences and work towards nation building,” President Mukherjee said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also wished for peace, unity and harmony in the country on the auspicious occasion of Vijaya Dashmi.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval also participated at the Dussehra Celebrations at Red Fort in New Delhi.
In Maharashtra, Dasara, the traditional culminating ceremony of the ten-day long Navratri festival is being celebrated with joy and fervour in Maharashtrian households today.
In Mumbai, Shiv Sainiks gathered in large numbers in Shivaji Park, for the traditional Dasara rally in its golden jubilee year.
In Uttar Pradesh, Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, was celebrated with age old traditions.
Elaborate security arrangements were made across the state with special focus on sensitive places like Lucknow, Varanasi, Faizabad, Meerut, Kanpur and Muzaffarnagar in view of Moharram processions at the same time.