9 heads, 300 years of worship: Ravana gets police protection in this MP town, not a pyre

In Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district, a 300-year-old Ravana idol is preserved inside the Kothi police station. Local priest Ramesh Mishra continues a family tradition of worshiping this nine-headed idol on Dussehra. Unlike the common tradition of burning Ravana’s effigy, this statue is revered and safeguarded. The region is also linked with local myths surrounding the Ramayana, adding cultural significance. In Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district, a 300-year-old Ravana idol is preserved inside the Kothi police station. Local priest Ramesh Mishra continues a family tradition of worshiping this nine-headed idol on Dussehra. Unlike the common tradition of burning Ravana’s effigy, this statue is revered and safeguarded. The region is also linked with local myths surrounding the Ramayana, adding cultural significance.