New Delhi: Giant effigies of ten-headed demon king Ravana, his son Meghnad and brother Kumbhakaran were consigned to flames on Dussehra marking the triumph of good over evil while at many places in the country people opted for eco-friendly ways to celebrate the festival.
The four-day-long Durga Puja festivities also culminated on Tuesday, with revellers queuing up near river banks and lakes for idol immersion as they bid adieu to the goddess.
With police keeping a hawk-eye vigil, the festivities passed off peacefully in different parts of the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Dussehra event in Dwarka in the national capital and urged people to work towards furthering the empowerment of women and ensuring their dignity by taking forward the spirit of Navratra.
He said they should take up the mission of not wasting food, conserving energy and water and avoiding single-use plastic.
President Ram Nath Kovind, who attended the festivities in Indraprastha here, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi greeted people on the occasion.
In five cities including Delhi and Noida, Ravana effigies made of plastic waste were dismantled mechanically rather than being burnt, as is the tradition, to promote environmental conservation. Naidu and former prime minister Manmohan Singh attended the celebrations at Delhi's famous Lav Kush Ramlila at Red Fort which also did not use crackers in the effigies.
To make up for the missing fireworks, the sound of crackers were played on speakers.
Even the height of the effigies was reduced from 125 feet last year to 60 feet.
In Chandigarh, the main attraction was a 221-foot Ravana effigy, with organisers claiming that eco-friendly firecrackers were used.
For many in Amritsar, this Dussehra was a grim reminder of last year's tragedy when a train sliced through revellers watching a Ravana effigy go up in flames, killing 61 people.
The 10-day-long popular Dussehra celebrations in the palace city of Mysuru in Karnataka culminated on Tuesday, with a spectacular procession marking the grand finale. Traditional fairs were organised in several states.
Meanwhile, as Dussehra festivities came to an end across the country, the historical week-long Kullu Dussehra commenced amid tight security. The internationally renowned festival is unique as it begins when festivities culminate in the rest of the country and no effigies are burnt.
Even as the rest of the country burns effigies of Ravana on Dussehra, the demon king is worshipped in Sangola village in Maharashtra's Akola district for his "intelligence and ascetic qualities".