Neither Ramlila nor Ravana's effigy is burnt in Ravana alias Baragaon of Baghpat, just 22 km from the capital Delhi. Here people do not consider Ravana as a demon but a god.
From the sky to the underworld… from the gods to the demons.. and in all four directions, the sound of Ravana's muscle power used to ring. Big warriors and big archers were seen bowing down before this great Pundit Ravana . Ravana was blessed with the boon of immortality from the creator of the universe, Brahma ji, but when Ravana's sin increased, the incarnation of God took place and Lord Shri Ram killed Ravana and since then we celebrate the victory of good over evil in the form of Vijayadashami . . Ramlilas are staged in every corner of the country and then Ravana is burnt.
But neither Ramlila nor Ravana's effigy is burnt in Ravana alias Baragaon of Baghpat, just 22 km from the capital Delhi. Here people have faith in Ravana, because the people here consider Ravana to be a deity. And the deity is neither burnt nor killed.
Troubles are overcome by worshiping in Mansha Devi temple
After all, why do people of Baragaon worship Ravana, why don't they burn his effigy. There is a story attached behind it. Before that story, Mansha Devi gets to know about the temple. Whoever bowed his head at the rate of this temple, his troubles were cut. His every wish was fulfilled. Because the goddess of faith, Maa Mansha Devi herself resides here. The villagers tell that the story of the intention of the mother goddess to reach this village of Badagaon i.e. Ravana village is that Ravana had done penance for hundreds of years of Adi Shakti.
Lord Vishnu installed the idol of the mother by deceit
The goddess was pleased and asked Ravana to ask for a boon, Ravana said that I want to establish you by taking you to Lanka and the goddess praised by saying that wherever you will keep this idol of mine in my form, it should be established there. And then no one will be able to remove it from there. After this boon, there was chaos in the deity world and the deities reached Lord Vishnu with trepidation.
Lord Vishnu took the disguise of a cowherd and made Ravana a little suspicious. Seeing the cowherd in the forest, Ravana handed over the idol of Adi Shakti to the cowherd, and Lord Vishnu in the form of a cowherd placed this idol on the ground and when Ravana picked up the idol, it did not move from there, and thus the idol of Baghpat. The idol of the mother was installed in Baragaon alias Ravana village.
Ravana is a deity for the people of the village
Devotees coming to the temple of Maa Mansa Devi here say that people go far away to see Adi Shakti, but because of Lankapati Ravana, the mother sat here and all this happened because of Lankesh. Mother is seated here, whoever bows his head with true heart and reverence, mother fulfills his every wish and hence the people here say that they had great faith for Ravana, they brought the mother here.
People feel proud considering Ravana as their descendant
Baghpat's Baragaon also holds great importance from archeological and religious point of view. Many legends, relics, hundreds of years old sculptures and temples keep this village in the limelight. Historian Amit Rai Jain tells that after the installation of the idol, Ravana dug a pool here and did penance after bathing in it. The name of this kund is Ravana Kund. Even in the surrounding areas, no village people watch Ravana Dahan on this day, because it is a time of sorrow for them and it is not as if this is a new tradition, but this tradition has been going on for centuries. Whether it is an old man or a young man who has come to the last stage of age, everyone takes pride in considering Ravana as his descendant.
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