Jodhpur : Dussehra, the festival of victory of good over evil, will be celebrated with pomp today. Effigies of Ravana and his family members will be burnt today at many places in the country including Rajasthan. There will also be grand fireworks during this time, but there is a place in Rajasthan where mourning is celebrated on the day of Dussehra. The special thing is that this place is also called Ravana’s in-laws house, that is, Ravana had visited here with Mandodari. Actually this place is located in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, which is called Mandore.
Mandodari was the princess of Mandore!
According to legends, Ravana’s wife Mandodari was the princess of Mandore and she was married at this place. However, there is no solid evidence for this. Let us tell you that the old name of Mandore was Mandavyapur or Mandavpur. At that time it used to be the capital of Marwar, but Rao Jodha started finding this place (Mandore) unsafe, so he built a huge fort on Chidiya Koot hill, which was named Mehrangarh and the city was named Jodhpur. Whereas in Jodhpur, Mandodari and the place associated with Ravana, Ravana’s Chawari is under the Tourism Department. At present, the Mandore garden also has the Sal of the Gods, Zanana Mahal, a Thamba Mahal, the temples of the Maharajas of Jodhpur and Marwar and an ancient fort of the fourth century.
Ravana is worshiped
On the other hand, on the day of Vijayadashami, mourning is celebrated by the Dave Godha Gotra family of Shrimali Brahmin community in Jodhpur. In Jodhpur itself, a temple of Ravana has been built in the premises of Amarnath Mahadev Temple located on Kila Road, where he is worshipped. On the day of Dussehra, the idol of Ravana is consecrated and worshiped with rituals in the temple premises. In the evening, after Ravana Dahan, the families of Dave Godha descendants take bath and wear Nutan Yajnopavit.
Pandit Kamlesh Kumar Dave of Mahadev Amarnath Temple told that Ravana Dave was from Godha gotra, hence even today at the time of Ravana Dahan, the families belonging to his gotra do not watch Ravana Dahan and mourn. There is a temple of Mandodari near the idol of Ravana, she is also worshiped during this time. Dave told that the idol of Ravana was installed in the temple as per the law in the year 2008. From then till today Ravana is worshiped on every Vijayadashami.
