Finding Ravan in Madhya Pradesh

This article usually makes an appearence in media during the times of Dussehra

Ravan Idol at Ravangram
 (as per the  news paper article)

"They don’t regard Ravana as a negative figure. On the contrary, some people in four Madhya Pradesh districts worship the Hindu god Rama’s arch rival on Dussehra when all across the country, his effigies are burnt to mark the victory of good over evil.In some places of Vidisha, Mandsaur, Ratlam and Indore districts, the effigy of Ravana is not burnt but people welcome the 10-headed demon king. So much so, a village in Vidisha district is even called Ravangram. Earlier, Ravana was worshipped during marriages only in the village but for the last few years he is being worshipped on Dussehra as well. “I know that villagers of Ravangram worship him. It is a village that has a population constituting of  90 per cent Brahmins. But so far I know that they only worship Ravana during marriages,” Congress leader Prabhat Bhanu Sharma of the district said. “The bridegroom seeks blessings from Ravana. He is worshipped as a local god in the village,” he added. In Mandsaur, Ravana is hailed as a son-in-law by Namdeo Vaishnav Samaj, a sect which believes that Ravana’s wife Mandodari belonged to the town." 

Being the arm chair intellectual, had been trying to Google this since three years, without much success.  People in Bhopal also did not appear to have any clue. As probably is the case with people of this generation, failure to find useful information about this Ravangram on Google (and laziness) started putting doubts in my mind about the very existence of this village, and had started wondering whether this is just another story or myth propagated by media. Escalating efforts further also posted on Facebook page and Twitter asking for information, drawing a blank, and there by strengthening mistrust of media.

Suddenly, during the fifth day of Navratri an aquantance casually mentioned about a Ravangram where there is supposed to be an idol of Ravan ! I predictably pounced upon the poor soul with web researched accumulated questions of three years. Dazed, he called up his friend from who he had heard the story, and came up with a place called Berasia. "Go to Berasia, and from there Ravangram is on bus route to Nateran". So the dice was cast, and I decided to have a rendezvous with Ravan on Dussehra. 

Off I went at about eight in the morning on the Dussehra day (25th October 2012) from Bhopal. Being on unknown territory, I decided that public transport would be an ideal choice. So I took a bus to Berasia from Sindhi Colony near Bhopal Talkies. 

The distance to Berasia was 40 KMs and took me about 2 hours to cover, so I was at Berasia Bus stand at about 10.30 AM. However, to my disappointment Ravangram enquiries again drew a blank ! After talking to multiple people, I changed track and started asking about Nateran instead. 

On which I was redirected to Mahaneem, a place some 30 KMs from Berasia, which turned out to be an intersection of roads to Berasia, Sironj, Samsabad and Kareria. 

After arriving at Mahaneem about one and a half hours later, asking about Ravangram still drew a blank. While wondering what to do, I latched on Nateran instead.

Suddenly the bus conductor had an 'Eureka moment' and asked whether I wanted to go to Ravan Bamoria. I was eager enough to go to any place which at least had some Ravan in it, suffix and prefix not with standing. So promptly I was packed off to a bus to Vidisha with this genius bus conductor (of a bus to Sironj) personally going and instructing the driver of Vidisha bus to drop me at Kareria Chauraha.

The road was painful, single lane with tar barely existing and interrupted now and then by tractors and villagers carrying idols of Goddess Durga for immersion. The bus itself was over crowded with families returning from their vacations. So eventually I was dropped at Kareria chauraha after about two and a half hours. Again I started inquiring about Ravan Bamoria, Nateran. However to my delight, the first person I asked conter questioned whether I wanted to go to Ravan or Bamoria. He said I should go to Nateran and from there Ravan (and not Ravangram) is just 2 kilometers. So I took a bus to Nateran, about 10 kilometers from Kareria square.

Found out that Nateran is a Sub division town of Vidisha District, with government offices and lot of political posters, stacked up sound boxes blaring latest film music while the young turks decorate the tractor for immersion of Goddess Durga. It was about 3'O clock in the afternoon and still no trace of Mr. Ravan. The young folks were so busy that I could not raise my voice enough to ask them about Ravan. After walking for about five minutes, I ended up at a temple on the outskirts of the town. On inquiring about Ravan he simply pointed to a board across the road.

Now, how to cover these seven kms, on foot? No transport from Nateran to Ravan, this was confirmed. There were motorbikes going towards the direction of Ravan, but had two pillion riders already. So I walked for sometime and reached a small village. On asking about the name of the village I was told it was Chameria. After some time, one bike with just the rider came along and agreed to give me a lift to Ravan. 

On road the young lad asked me what I was upto, and said he had been to Ravan temple many times. So finally a confirmation of Ravan temple. Suddenly he stopped in front of a yellow colored room and said this is the temple.

Ravan temple - First look

Jai Ravan Baba was written inside and outside the place, and a stone idol was lying inside. Also some broken old pieces of sculpture were standing on one side. A Shivalinga was also to be seen. In front of this very recently (about 12 years old) constructed room is a water body. There were vistors in a Maruti Van in picnic mood, but no priests of the famed Kanyakubja community who according to the news paper article claim Ravan to be from their sect. While waiting for some authority about the temple to appear, I started to chat up with the picnic family. They were from Visidha, and had come to thank Ravan Baba as a family wedding passed off peacefully with his blessings ! Amazed, I asked how come they asked Ravan for help and are they from the village community? They were not from the village and it has been a tradition in their family to ask for help remotely and promise some offerings. They had come to fulfill the promised offerings -which being some flowers, sweet 'chironji' and coconut - after some four months. They were very convinced that 'Kuch to baat hai' about their Ravan baba.

Look from the entrance

Broken sculptures

Outlined in flower

After much waiting the temple authority still did not turn up. So I caught up a child playing around and asked him to take me to his home. This guy was called 'Pradhan' (Village? Temple? Do not know) and was sleeping at his home. He came out and said that he is running a fever after the fasts of Navratri. I asked him about Ravan Baba. 

He said that he had seen the idol like this since his childhood. The room was constructed recently. The village families prays to him on occasions like marriage, house warming etc. If any family which has moved away from the village does not promise their offerings before any "Subh Karya" it is never fulfilled and their are many obstacles. So this Ravan Baba appears to be remote sensitive.

On being asked how come Ravan is here, at the middle of no where, he had a legend to tell. Pointing at the hills visible in the background of the temple, he said that their are huge caves in that mountain, In those caves one Rakshash dwelled, who could not find any worth while competitor in the area. So used to go to Lanka to have a fight with Ravan. However on seeing Ravan half his strength would be gone, and he would come back. After two three times Ravna himself asked this rakshash what was his purpose of visit. On explaining the problem to Ravan, Ravan suggested that he start praying his idol every day, which will enable him to retain his strength against any opposition. I asked him about the small sculptures lined against walls, to which he said only the black stone idol and the sword in the pond were original.
Sword in the pond ?
Yes there is a sword of stone in the pond.

They use the usual mantras and puja rituals for their prayer to Ravan, he said, sounding almost apolagatic of being different from the surrounding aryan culture of Ram.

The idol, shivlinga and sculptures

Ravan face - The head marks of  Shiva

Another head above the head ?

Holding something above the head by both hands

Another face on left side of main face

Dogs are allowed, shoes are not

Was the idol standing at some point of time ? Unlikely, from the looks of the feet

I went back temple to try and locate the stone sword. There was a stone projection in the water body in front of the temple, which might be the sword he was talking about. Meanwhile another family in Jeep had arrived to pay their promised offering to Ravan Baba from Bhopal on their Jeep ! On asking the head of the family said that even his father used to come to Ravan Baba, and their family has been helped since generations by him. 

On being asked what they thought about the origins, they came up with another story. They said that Ravana was flying above the place when he was shot by an arrow and fell down at the spot, with his sword thrown out of his hand. As the curse of gods would not fulfilled if he was thus killed, Ravan was resurrected and sent off to his path by the gods. The stone body was left behind as was the stone sword. 




What ever the past, I was the wrong person to unearth it. In a growing circle of Aryan culture, the non-aryan past, if it existed at this small hamlet, has been completely wiped away. There might be some old construction some where in the vicinity, from where the small broken stone sculptures have been kept in the temple. The shape of a stone lying outside the temple, which used for breaking Coconuts for offering, looks like the base of an old temple pillar.

This stone is used for breaking coconuts

Hoping that the village will survive long enough for it's turn for an archaeological survey by government, I started back for my journey to Bhopal. This time however the journey was surprisingly smooth. I took a lift on a tractor passing by to Nateran, and got a bus from their to Vidisha. The Durga immerisons had started at Vidisha Betwa river, so the bus could not go to the bus stand.

On asking the police man on duty for directions to the bus stand, he waved down a very scared young boy on bike, and asked him to drop me to the square. Barely had I stood there, A private Nano car asked whether I was looking for a lift to Bhopal? Within two hours of leaving Nateran, I was in Bhopal. 

The Ravan Baba Magic working?