There are temples in India where Lord Ravana, considered to be the sincerest devotee of Lord Shiva and the demon King of Lanka is being worshipped. Despite being defeated by Lord Ram in the epic battle of Ramayana, Ravana was a just ruler, with his empire considered as one of the most prosperous in ancient times and is considered as a tragic hero by many and is worshipped as a sign of prosperity. So here are the 5 temples around India where he is worshipped.
1. Ravana Mandir Bisrakh, Uttar Pradesh
Bisrakh is a village in Uttar Pradesh which is believed to be the birthplace of demon-king Lord Ravana. Dusshera or Diwali which is associated with burning effigies of Ravana is not held here to celebrate the victory of Lord Ram over him, and the people in this village choose to mourn Ravana's death and offers prayers to him. A temple dedicated to Lord Ravana exists here which houses a 13-meter-long Shiva ling and a 1.7-meter-tallsculpture of Ravana.
2. Dashanan Ravana Temple, Kanpur
While people celebrate the victory of good over evil people burn effigies of Ravana all around the country but in this temple thousands of devotees come here to worship Ravana as a symbol of power and follow an elaborate set of rituals which includes prayers and lighting of candles all around the temple. He is considered as a true disciple of Lord Shiva and a mannequin of Lord Ravana is set on fire and the gates to the temples are closed until next Dusshera.
3. Jodhpur Ravana Mandir, Rajasthan
Jodhpur is said to be the maternal home of Mandodari, the wife of Lord Ravana. The Mugadil Brahmins which reside here consider themselves to be the descendants of Ravana and have installed idols of Lord Ravana worshipping Shiva at the Navagraha temple. There is also an altar at the Mandore and it is believed that Ravana married Mandodari here.
4. Ravangram Ravana Temple, Madhya Pradesh
The temple houses a ten feet long statue of Lord Ravana in a reclining position and is worshipped by the locals before performing any auspicious activity. Origin of this temple is said to be around the twelfth century and the statue is kept in such a position because when it itstood erect many untoward incidents happened in and around the village. Lord Ravana is worshipped here as a symbol of prosperity by the Kanyakubja Brahmins who reside here.
5. Kakinada Ravana Temple, Andhra Pradesh
Located in the heart of the city it is one of the most well maintained Ravana temples in India. At its entrance is a huge statue of lord Ravana with its ten heads along with idols of lord Shiva inside the temple. There are images of Lord Shiva and Ravana together at the Shivalinga in Kakinada.