Prayagraj: Echoes of history will once again illuminate the stage this Dussehra as Mahant Baba Hathiram Pajawa Ramlila Committee’s Lord Ram and Laxman don the majestic 150-year-old Lahori crown, a priceless relic from undivided India.Adorned with splendor, the silver-bejeweled crown, crafted by Lahore’s master artisans for the family of zamindar Lala Manohar Dasji’s great-grandson Manmohan Das (Bachha Ji), has been painstakingly preserved by the committee. After a two-decade hiatus due to minor damage, this antique masterpiece underwent meticulous restoration in Kanpur, and will now once again crown the artists portraying Lord Ram and Laxman, thanks to the diligent efforts of committee treasurer Amitabh Tandon.Each crown weighs over 1 kg and is valued at approximately Rs 10 lakh, including crafting charges.According to Sachin Kumar Gupta, director of Pajawa Ramlila and committee’s finance secretary, the committee selects an artist to play Lord Ram for 10 days during the ‘mukut pujan ceremony’. This artist, distinct from the one in the Ramlila performance, participates in a grand shobha yatra dressed as Lord Ram and wearing this antique crown every day. He said the Ramlila performance begins only after the yatra reaches the Pajawa Ramlila ground.Gupta said this year’s “mukut pujan ceremony” will be held on Sept 17 at Shahganj’s Ram Mandir, for which hectic preparations are underway.He said, “Cleaning of the golden crowns of Lord Shri Ram, Goddess Sita, and Laxman is underway. In the ‘mukut pujan ceremony’ this year, all the 10 crowns of the committee will be worshipped, which are made of gold and silver.”He said “Lord Ram and his brother Laxman will wear 150-year-old Lahori crown on Dusshera.”According to Mohan Ji Tandon, a senior committee member, this centuries-old tradition will usher in the Dussehra festival under the Mahant Baba Hathiram Pajawa Ramlila Committee’s auspices. The festivities will commence with crown worship at the Hathiram temple in Shahganj, where 11 Brahmins and Vedpathis will chant mantras and perform rituals to worship Lord Ram, Goddess Sita, Laxman, Bharat, and Shatrughan in a traditional manner. After that, from the first day of Navratri, the Lord wears a golden crown on his head. Following this, the programme of the Dussehra festival is inaugurated.