An effigy of the demon king Ravan exploded during a Dussehra event on Saturday, leading to comparisons with a “nuclear test”. The moment was captured in a now-viral video circulating on social media. It shows a towering effigy, part of the traditional Ravan Dahan, erupting with a massive explosion.

Dussehra or Vijayadashmi is a major Hindu festival marking the victory of good over evil. One of the key events of the celebration is Ravan Dahan, which involves burning the effigies of the demon king Ravan, his brother Kumbhakarna, and his son Meghnath. The act symbolises the triumph of Lord Rama over Ravan.

The video showed spectators eagerly awaiting the burning of the effigy, as is the tradition during Dussehra. People lined up with their phones to capture the symbolic moment. However, shortly after the effigy was lit, an unexpected explosion occurred, creating a massive mushroom-like cloud that shot up into the sky, similar to a nuclear blast.

The sudden blast caused panic among the crowd, with bystanders scrambling and running for cover.

Dussehra Nuclear test pic.twitter.com/77UwOboZ72

— ????????????ℎ????ᡣ???? (@aryansingh2466) October 13, 2024

“Nuclear test,” a user wrote on X.

Another wrote, “Nuclear bomb testing was also done with Ravana Dahan.”

રાવણ દહન સાથે ન્યુક્લિયર બોમ્બ નું ટેસ્ટિંગ પણ કરી લીધું pic.twitter.com/gTF2ahauHb

— Divu Ahir (@Divuahirr) October 14, 2024

In Patna, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar led the Ravan Dahan ceremony at the Gandhi Maidan. An 80-foot-tall effigy of Ravan was set on fire as part of the tradition. Key figures, including Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, were among the attendees.

#WATCH | Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Dy CM Samrat Choudhary attend #DussehraCelebration at Gandhi Maidan in Patna pic.twitter.com/nqk833V4Wt

— ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2024

Nitish Kumar fired an arrow to ignite the effigy, which quickly burst into flames, followed by the burning of 75-foot and 70-foot effigies of Meghnath and Kumbhakarna, respectively. Before the ceremony, the Chief Minister and the Governor performed an aarti of Lord Ram. A massive crowd, estimated to be around a lakh had gathered at Gandhi Maidan to witness the spectacle. 

File picture of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Commemorating the 26th anniversary of Pakistan’s first successful nuclear tests, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said it encapsulates the arduous yet remarkable path of the country towards establishing a “credible minimum deterrence.”

Pakistan conducted six nuclear tests on May 28, 1998, inside a deeply dug tunnel in the remote Chaghi mountain of Balochistan province, as a tit-for-tat response to India’s nuclear tests in the same month at the Indian Army’s Pokhran Test Range.

Pakistan’s nuclear tests, state-run Radio Pakistan, said was conducted in response to the regional security dynamics and one that ensured that Pakistan’s defence capabilities were robust and credible.

Pakistan became the seventh nuclear nation in the world and the first Muslim state in 1998 having the nuclear arsenal in its defence stockpile to exercise deterrence.

Designated as Youm-e-Takbeer, translated as ‘the day of greatness’ or ‘the day of God’s greatness’, and observed annually with national zeal and fervour, Sharif has declared Tuesday as a public holiday, for the first time in the recent past.

Congratulating the nation in his message on social media platform X, Mr. Sharif said the day symbolises the collective effort of all facets of national power.

“May 28 signifies more than just a mere commemoration of a day; it encapsulates the narrative of our nation’s arduous yet remarkable path towards establishing a credible minimum deterrence,” he said, adding, “On this historic day, in 1998, PM Nawaz Sharif demonstrated bold leadership by rejecting nerve-wracking pressures and inducements to make Pakistan a nuclear-armed nation.”

Mr. Sharif also paid tribute to Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the founder of Pakistan’s nuclear programme for his “strategic foresight and unwavering commitment to the cause.”

However, Mr. Sharif’s statement did not mention the name of Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, a nuclear scientist who played a major role in the programme after being in protective custody for almost two decades.

Mr. Sharif said the nation should resolve to work tirelessly to ensure economic security with the same spirit it made the defence invincible on May 28, 1998.

In his message, acting President Yusuf Raza Gilani reiterated the resolve to continue working towards a peaceful and stable world. “We successfully demonstrated our nuclear capabilities and joined the ranks of nuclear powers,” he said and added that Youm-e-Takbeer serves as a testament to our nation’s resilience, unwavering determination, and commitment to maintaining regional peace and stability.

The Pakistan Army, in a statement, said that the Armed Forces pay tribute to the unwavering dedication and selfless sacrifices of all those who contributed to this remarkable feat, achieved against overwhelming odds.

The Armed Forces reaffirm their unwavering resolve to defend the motherland, protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and ensure the nation’s security at all times and at any cost, the statement added.

Watch | 50 years ago, India conducted its first ever nuclear test

Fifty years ago, India conducted its first nuclear test in Pokhran, code-named Operation Smiling Buddha. With this India had entered the league of nations with nuclear capabilities.

An article dated May 19th, 1974, says India successfully conducted an underground test with plutonium device in 10-15 kiloton range. It also adds that the then Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission Dr H.N Sethna and Director of The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre DR R Ramanna, who supervised the test, flew to Delhi even without a wash or change to give a full account to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

India said that it undertook this programme to develop its own technology for peaceful use of nuclear energy and it had no intention of going in for nuclear weapons. The groundwork for testing nuclear energy was laid even earlier by renowned Indian scientists Homi J Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai. In 1954, the Department of Atomic Energy was founded, with Bhabha as director.

With Smiling Buddha, India became the first nation to conduct a nuclear test apart from the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. After the nuclear test, there were criticisms that it was an attempt to divert people’s attention from the economic crisis the country was facing in the 1970s.

However, the Atomic Energy Commission chairman said that it was his decision and that there was no political motive,
Even a New York Times article said that “such great talent of resources has been squandered on the vanity of power, while 600 million Indians slip deeper into poverty”.

India also faced significant criticism from many countries including Pakistan, USA, and Canada. Pakistan said that it would never succumb to “nuclear blackmail” or accept “Indian hegemony or domination over the subcontinent”.

India did not carry out further nuclear tests until 1998. In 1998, under the leadership of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, India conducted a series of nuclear tests in Pokhran once again, code-named Operation Shakti.

With this, India declared itself a full-fledged nuclear state.

Script and production: Gayatri Menon

Research: Gayatri Menon and Murali Krishnaswamy

Archive photo courtesy: M. Srinath

Voiceover: Jude Francis Weston