6 Ravana Temples in India you need to visit atleast once in your

life
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Ravana. The villain ultimate of Indian mythology. Come Navratri and Dusshera, everyone around will
begin celebrating the days of good over evil and burn effigies of Ravana. But then, was Ravana truly
as evil as he is made out to be? There are a lot of people who worship Ravana as a deity and Shiva
followers truly believe in the 10-headed king. If he really was so good and noble, then why does
majority of the population believe him to be evil?
The answer lies not in black or white but in grey. Ravana sure did commit some horrible acts
abducting Sita the worst of them, but then he was also a benevolent and just king. He was loved by all
his subjects and Lanka prospered under Ravana. He was a family man and treated all his siblings with
love and care. While he was spurned by Sita, Ravana did not truly wage any war till Ram and
Lakshman deliberately insulted his sister Soorpanakha. Comparing Ram (who is treated as God) and
Ravana, Ram committed many crimes too. His biggest error was suspecting his wife just because he
was afraid of what the world would think.
Both have positives and both have negatives. But then, why is one a God and the other demon? Many
Indians and people over the world believe Ravana was a better and greater king than Ram and thus
worship Ravana. Here are some Ravana temples you just cannot afford to miss!

1. Bisrakh, Uttar Pradesh

This is one of the most famous and wellknown Ravana temples. Ravana is
worshipped as God in this region and
Dusshera is not celebrated here by burning
Ravana effigies. Bisrakh is special as it is
Ravanas birthplace and many elders still
visit the place to mourn the once-great king.
Navratri is the festival mourning in this
township. There are many havans held
during Navratri to pay respects and homage
to Ravana.
2. Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh
Though not very well-known, the Ravana
temple in Kakinada region of Andhra
Pradesh is built on a site believed to have
been chosen by Ravana himself. Ravana
chose the spot to create a temple of Lord
Shiva, whom Ravana believed in. It is
believed that Ravana built the temple
around the statue of Shiva. The temple is
located close to the beach and is quite a

picturesque temple. It is magnificent and beautiful! Kakuinada is the only place in Andhra where
Ravana is worshipped.
3. Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
This temple of Ravana is opened just once a year
on Dussehra Day and rituals are carried out. The
temple was constructed by Shiv Shankar, a
devotee of Lord Shiva and the believer in the
power of Ravana. Ravana is worshipped as a God
in the temple and not like a demon that he is
believed to be. The temple celebrates his
knowledge, his brilliance and his benevolence as a
king attributes of Ravanas that lie forgotten in
todays world.
4. Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh
Vidisha is one of the most famous
Ravana temples. There is even a village
in Vidisha named Ravangram after king
Ravana! During any auspicious function
or on any important day, it is the Indian
tradition to visit temples and seek
blessings. The people of Vidisha visit
Ravanas temples on wedding days and
other important occasions. It is only
recently that Ravana worship
commenced on Dussehra in a big way otherwise, the temple was treated just like any other
temple. Ravanas wife Mandodari is believed to be from Vidisha.
5. Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh
Another of Ravanas temples in
Madhya Pradesh, this one is
said to be important as Ravana
and Mandodari are said to have
wed here. The temple is an
elaborate structure. Along with
Ravana, there are also other
female deities who are present
inside the temple and are
worshipped. Texts in the script
from Harappan civilisation is found next to the deities indicating that the temple is extremely old.

6. Mandor, Rajasthan
Well, not exactly a temple temple but the Dave brahmins of Mandor are believed to be direct
descendants of Ravana. As descendants of Ravana, they do not celebrate Dussehra as on that
day Rama killed and vanquished Ravana. Instead, they perform shraddh and offer pind daan on
Dueeshra. They perform all the rituals of shraddh that a son performs for his father/ancestors and
pray for the liberation of his soul. A Ravana temple has been set up in Jodhpur India where daily,
the king is prayed and worshipped.