5 temples in India where Ravana is worshipped

In the bloodshed battlefield after the Great War, when Ravana lay vanquished, Rama sent Lakshman to him to imbibe great knowledge. For beyond his arrogance and might, Ravana was a wise rakshasa and a devotee of Lord Shiva. And that is why, even though he is widely seen under the lens of an antagonist, many communities’ respects and worships him for wisdom and knowledge. In India, five prominent temples worship the mighty Ravana.

This quaint place near Greater Noida is believed to be the birth place of Ravana. In fact, going by local lore the village gets its name from Vishrava, the father of Ravana. Interestingly, while many places burn effigies of Ravana as they celebrate Dussehra, Bisrakh holds back and worships the great scholar. The temple, which is actually a Shiva temple also worships his great devotee Ravana and is easily accessible by road taking 45 minutes from Ghaziabad and almost 2 hours from Delhi.

Another temple in Uttar Pradesh is the Dashanan Temple in Kanpur. Ravana is also known as Dashanan or the ten-faced one where each face signifies a virtue or skill. This temple is usually opened to devotees around Dussehra and one can make a quick stop to pay respects to the learned Shiva devotee.

According to local legends, this place is said to be related to Mandodari, Ravana’s wife, thus making him the son-in-law of the region. Hence, devotees flock in to offer prayers and respect him not just as a cultural icon but also as the son-in-law of the place in his own dedicated shrine.

Almost 40 kms straight from Vidisha, this Ravana Temple is in Madhya Pradesh. Interestingly, the place is known for its large seated statue of Ravana where he is worshipped as Ravan baba. Apart from regular worship and celebrations during Dussehra, one of the most unique traditions occurs when the first invitation for any wedding is sent to him.

While the temple is primarily dedicated to Lord Shiva, Ravana occupies a special place in local legends. It is send that the Shiva Bhakt had performed severe penance, so much so that he was willing to cut off each of his ten heads as sacrifice. Hence, along with Lord Shiva, Ravana is also given a primordial place in this temple. This place, situated in Kangra, is easily accessible from popular tourist spots like Dharamshala, Pathankot and Palanpur. Hence if you are visiting any of these places, you can try and squeeze a visit to the temples in your itinerary. The temple lies 56 kms from the Kangra Airport and can also beaccessed by the broad gauge train services from Pathankot junction. Moreover, it is well connected with bus services from major locations like Delhi, Shimla, Manali, Chandigarh, and most major hill stations.

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