MEERUT: Even as the country celebrates the victory of good against evil, an eerie silence prevails in Baragaon village in Baghpat district on Dussehra. While all other hamlets mark the festivities with the burning of Ravana effigies and Ramlila stage shows, its any other day for the 10,000-odd residents of Baragaon, barely 25km from Delhi.Interestingly, records maintained by the state revenue department say the village was named Ravan until Independence, when it was rechristened as Baragaon.The residents of Baragaon believe that the village has a close connection with the demon king.Village elders say that in ancient times Ravana, after gaining power (Shakti) in the Himalayas, handed it over to a farmer right here. Praveen Tyagi, a farmer based in Baragaon, said, Our village is an ancient one and one story has been passed on through several generations and thousands of years. We believe Ravana passed through this village while he was returning from the Himalayas with Shakti, which he received from Mansha Devi after years of tapasya in the mountains. The possession of Shakti made him the most powerful entity in the entire universe. Devas, naturally, panicked as Ravana, the king of Asuras, was their arch nemesis. Devas sought, well, divine intervention and approached Lord Vishnu. As Ravana was returning to Lanka, Vishnu appeared in the village disguised as a milkman. As Ravana reached the village, he felt a strong urge to answer natures call. He asked Vishnu to hold the Shakti for a while. Vishnu, in his guise as a milkman, put Shakti on the ground, which was a strict no. And, thus, Ravana lost Shakti. Years later, the demon king visited the village again to meditate and built the Mansha Devi temple at the very spot where it stands today, Tyagi said.Historians have also corroborated Tyagis claim that the village is an ancient one. Dr K K Sharma, associate professor, Department of History, Multanimal PG College, Modinagar, said, During archaeological excavations, painted grey pottery was found here, indicating that the village existed as early as 1,500 BC – the era referred to as the Mahabharata period. However, we can safely say that the village existed long before that. With changing times, there is still no scope for this village to celebrate this festival. We are bound by traditions that were communicated through word of mouth. Forget about burning effigies, we do not even observe Ramlila. said another villager, Amar Singh. However, that doesnt mean we worship Ravana. We also chant Jai Shri Ram during occasions and our families visit nearby villages to watch Ramlila, he added.

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