Key Highlights
- Once-a-year opening: The Dashanan Temple in Kanpur opens only on Vijayadashami and stays shut the other 364 days.
- Built in 1868: The shrine was built by Maharaj Guru Prasad Shukla, according to the temple priest.
- Morning rituals: Ravana’s idol is bathed with milk and holy water, followed by prayers and aarti.
- Why Ravana: Devotees honour him as a learned scholar, a capable ruler and a devoted follower of Lord Shiva.
- Not the only one: In Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha district, a village named Ravan worships him as ‘Ravan Baba’.
Across India, Vijayadashami ends with towering Ravana effigies going up in flames. But in Kanpur, the day begins with prayers to the very same ten-headed king. The Dashanan Temple, located inside the Kailash Temple complex in the city’s Shiwala area, opens its doors only once a year, on Dussehra, and remains closed for the other 364 days.
A Tradition That Dates Back to 1868
Speaking to IANS, temple priest Pandit Ram Bajpai said, “The shrine was built in 1868 by Maharaj Guru Prasad Shukla. On Dussehra, the temple doors are opened in the morning, following which the idol of Ravana is ceremonially bathed with milk and holy water. The rituals are then performed according to traditional customs, followed by prayers and aarti.”
Devotees arrive through the day with flowers and oil lamps to seek blessings before the doors close again for another year.
Why Worship Ravana?
The tradition rests on a simple idea: Ravana was not only a villain. In the Ramayana tradition, he is also remembered as a great scholar, a skilled ruler and one of Lord Shiva’s most devoted followers. The Kanpur temple chooses to honour these qualities on the very day the rest of the country celebrates his defeat.
Its location within the Kailash Temple complex, a Shiva shrine, also reflects the strong link between Ravana and his devotion to Lord Shiva.
‘Ravan Baba’ of Vidisha
Kanpur is not alone. In Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha district, a small village actually named Ravan, in Nateran tehsil, treats the demon king as its presiding deity, lovingly called ‘Ravan Baba’.
The village has an ancient temple that locals believe dates back to the Parmar era. It houses a 12-foot idol of Ravana in a reclining posture, where daily prayers and aarti are held. On Dussehra, instead of burning his effigy, villagers organise Ramayana recitations, devotional songs and a large community feast, drawing visitors from Vidisha, Bhopal and nearby areas.
Why It Matters
India’s festivals are rarely one-size-fits-all. These temples show that the same epic can be read in many ways. For most people, Ravana stands for ego and evil. For others, he is also a symbol of knowledge, devotion and learning. Both views have lived side by side for generations.
Audience Sentiment
Every Dussehra, stories of Ravana temples draw strong curiosity online. For many, they are a reminder that Indian traditions leave room for complexity, where even a villain’s virtues are acknowledged.
The Bigger Picture
As effigies burn tonight, the Dashanan Temple’s one-day opening offers a quieter lesson: good and evil are often not as simple as black and white, and even in defeat, wisdom and devotion are worth respecting.
What Comes Next
After today’s prayers, the temple doors will close again, opening only on next year’s Vijayadashami.
With inputs from IANS.
Key Highlights
- Once-a-year opening: The Dashanan Temple in Kanpur opens only on Vijayadashami and stays shut the other 364 days.
- Built in 1868: The shrine was built by Maharaj Guru Prasad Shukla, according to the temple priest.
- Morning rituals: Ravana’s idol is bathed with milk and holy water, followed by prayers and aarti.
- Why Ravana: Devotees honour him as a learned scholar, a capable ruler and a devoted follower of Lord Shiva.
- Not the only one: In Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha district, a village named Ravan worships him as ‘Ravan Baba’.
Across India, Vijayadashami ends with towering Ravana effigies going up in flames. But in Kanpur, the day begins with prayers to the very same ten-headed king. The Dashanan Temple, located inside the Kailash Temple complex in the city’s Shiwala area, opens its doors only once a year, on Dussehra, and remains closed for the other 364 days.
A Tradition That Dates Back to 1868
Speaking to IANS, temple priest Pandit Ram Bajpai said, “The shrine was built in 1868 by Maharaj Guru Prasad Shukla. On Dussehra, the temple doors are opened in the morning, following which the idol of Ravana is ceremonially bathed with milk and holy water. The rituals are then performed according to traditional customs, followed by prayers and aarti.”
Devotees arrive through the day with flowers and oil lamps to seek blessings before the doors close again for another year.
Why Worship Ravana?
The tradition rests on a simple idea: Ravana was not only a villain. In the Ramayana tradition, he is also remembered as a great scholar, a skilled ruler and one of Lord Shiva’s most devoted followers. The Kanpur temple chooses to honour these qualities on the very day the rest of the country celebrates his defeat.
Its location within the Kailash Temple complex, a Shiva shrine, also reflects the strong link between Ravana and his devotion to Lord Shiva.
‘Ravan Baba’ of Vidisha
Kanpur is not alone. In Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha district, a small village actually named Ravan, in Nateran tehsil, treats the demon king as its presiding deity, lovingly called ‘Ravan Baba’.
The village has an ancient temple that locals believe dates back to the Parmar era. It houses a 12-foot idol of Ravana in a reclining posture, where daily prayers and aarti are held. On Dussehra, instead of burning his effigy, villagers organise Ramayana recitations, devotional songs and a large community feast, drawing visitors from Vidisha, Bhopal and nearby areas.
Why It Matters
India’s festivals are rarely one-size-fits-all. These temples show that the same epic can be read in many ways. For most people, Ravana stands for ego and evil. For others, he is also a symbol of knowledge, devotion and learning. Both views have lived side by side for generations.
Audience Sentiment
Every Dussehra, stories of Ravana temples draw strong curiosity online. For many, they are a reminder that Indian traditions leave room for complexity, where even a villain’s virtues are acknowledged.
The Bigger Picture
As effigies burn tonight, the Dashanan Temple’s one-day opening offers a quieter lesson: good and evil are often not as simple as black and white, and even in defeat, wisdom and devotion are worth respecting.
What Comes Next
After today’s prayers, the temple doors will close again, opening only on next year’s Vijayadashami.
With inputs from IANS.