dehradun shri guru ram rai darbar sahib trust has been following the unique tradition of celebrating the dussehra inside a pond filled with water for years together thousands of people assemble at this historical and spiritual place in dehradun to witness this unusual tradition the place belongs to guru ram rai eldest son of the seventh guru of the sikhs sri har rai ji the miraculous power of guru ram rai earned him respect from aurangzeb but ire from his father who disowned him he then set up his udaseen sect and dera at doon valley from which the city dehradun derives its nameanubhav gupta senior management official at the trust told toi the episode of lanka dahan where hanuman ji set the lanka capital of ravana on fire is enacted inside the pond situated outside shri guru ram rai durbar sahib premises since lanka was an island surrounded by water from all sides so that sort of stage is set inside the pond a beautiful model of the palace of ravana is put up on a make shift bridge which is set on fire the bridge is known as rameshwar bridge and connected with stones which float on the water as per the account in ramayana goesthe scene where lord ram alongwith luxman enters into the lanka looking for sita and later the anguished hanuman ji burn the entire town is enacted inside the pond people come to witness the lanka dahan episode we do not perform the finale of effigy burning for which people go to parade ground to see said gupta lokesh ohri anthoropologist and convener dehradun chapter indian national trust for art and cultural heritage shares another unique tradition of ghansali town of tehri district local people in ghansali continue the ramayan recitation continuously day and night for 16 days before the dussehra festival on the day of dussehra itself they wear the ancient mask which are said to be some two thousand year old after wearing the masks they enact the battlefield scene between lord ram and ravana in the villageaccording to sources these holy masks are safely kept in the local temple and brought out during the dussehra festival