Hindus in India are celebrating the triumph of good over evil with the festival of Dussehra (also known as Durga Puja, Vijaya Dashmi, Dadara and Dashain). Dussehra is the culmination of the nine-day Navaratri festival. It commemorates a mythical battle in which Lord Rama defeated the 10-headed demon king Ravana in order to save his wife Sita, who was held captive in the demon's kingdom of Lanka.
An Indian artist makes effigies of the Hindu demon king Ravana at a workshop in HyderabadNoah Seelam/AFP
Many people of the Hindu faith observe Dussehra through special prayer meetings and food offerings to the gods at home or in temples. Devotees also hold outdoor fairs and large parades with effigies of the demon king Ravana, which are burned on bonfires in the evening. These effigies may be stuffed with fireworks to create a spectacular end to the festival. Occasionally these effigies bear the face of a real-life person considered to be an enemy – such as Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif. IBTimes UK presents photos from celebrations of Dussehra 2016 around the Indian subcontinent.
Indian artists make an effigy bearing the image of Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the eve of the Dussehra festival in AmritsarNarinder Nanu/AFPWorkers fix fireworks to an effigy bearing the image of Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in the likeness of Ravana the Hindu demon king, in AmritsarNarinder Nanu/AFPAn Indian policeman stands guard near an effigy bearing the image of Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in the likeness of Ravana the Hindu demon king, in AmritsarNarinder Nanu/AFPAn effigy bearing the image of Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in the likeness of Ravana the Hindu demon king, stuffed with fire-crackers, burns at a gathering in AmritsarNarinder Nanu/ AFPAn effigy of Ravana burns while people dressed as Hindu lord Rama, his brother Laxman and demon king Ravana act in a religious play in Chandigarh, IndiaAjay Verma/ReutersAn artist dressed as demon King Ravana acts in a religious play during Vijaya Dashmi, or Dussehra festival celebrations in Chandigarh, IndiaAjay Verma/ReutersAn artisan applies final touches to an effigy of the demon king Ravana in preparation for the Hindu festival of Dussehra in JammuMukesh Gupta/ReutersA devotee sits with lit oil lamps on his shoulders while offering prayers in Bhaktapur, NepalNavesh Chitrakar/ReutersA devotee offers oil lamps on top of his body in Bhaktapur, NepalNavesh Chitrakar/ReutersArtists dressed as Hindu god Rama, his wife Sita and brother Laxman sit in a chariot during a religious procession ahead of the Dussehra festival in Allahabad, IndiaJitendra Prakash/ReutersA Hindu priest stands next to the idol of the goddess Durga on a pandal or temporary platform in KolkataRupak De Chowdhuri/ReutersAn artist works on an effigy of the Hindu demon king Ravana at a workshop in Hyderabad, IndiaNoah Seelam/AFPA mechanic repairs a motorcycle in the front of effigies of the Hindu demon king Ravana in Amritsar, IndiaNarinder Nanu/AFPIndian artists make effigies of the Hindu demon king Ravana at a workshop in AmritsarNarinder Nanu/AFPAn effigy of the Hindu demon King Ravana is loaded onto a truck on the outskirts of AmritsarNarinder Nanu/AFPAn artisan paints an effigy of demon king Ravana during preparation for the Hindu festival of Dussehra in Ajmer, IndiaHimanshu Sharma/ReutersA police officer offers prayers to weapons as part of a ritual at the police headquarters in Ahmedabad, IndiaAmit Dave/ReutersA police officer offers prayers to a weapon during Dussehra at the police headquarters in AhmedabadAmit Dave/Reuters
