In Panipat, Dussehra is less about Ram vanquishing Ravana and more about the heroism of Hanuman.“We are Punjabis from Pakistan,” said 65-year-old Ganpat Khurana, who is donning the Hanuman Swaroop for the eighth time. “This tradition germinated during the British rule when the Englishmen didn’t allow us to celebrate Dussehra. Our saints back then took it up as a challenge. They applied vermillion on their bodies like Hanuman showing his love of Ram and protested.”For nine days leading up to Duhssehra, the streets of Panipat are overrun with Hanumans, walking barefoot on the streets. It’s a carnival-like atmosphere—men and boys strutting about in their massive mukuts, dancing and chanting, “Ram, Ram”.There’s an aspirant in every neighbourhood, but the path to this big moment is not easy. It’s a gruelling tapasya filled with prayers, rituals, and fasting.“You don’t become Hanuman just like that. How do you think we get this shakti?” said Khurana.“We avoid women, and even thinking about t...
