The evening sky glows, the crowd gathers, and children tug at their parents’ hands with excitement. Soon, a giant effigy of Ravana will be set on fire. Within minutes, it will crumble into ashes, and people will clap, cheer, and shout “Jai Shri Ram”.

For many, this is what Dussehra is all about: a yearly spectacle of good triumphing over evil. But as one watches the fire rise, a thought stirs quietly within: if Ravana was truly destroyed centuries ago by Lord Rama, why do we still build him every year, only to burn him again? The truth may make many uncomfortable, but the fact is that Ravana never........

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