Dussehra is celebrated across India every year. However, the customs and practices vary from state to state.
Dussehra
The tenth day of the Navaratri festival is known as Dussehra, or Vijaya Dashami. Dussehra falls on the 10th day (Dashami) of the month of Ashwin on the Hindu lunar calendar. It’s widely devoted to celebrating the defeat of the demon king Ravan by Lord Rama.
According to the holy Hindu text “The Ramayana,” the 10-headed demon king Ravan kidnapped Lord Rama’s wife Sita and took her to Sri Lanka. Lord Rama asked Ravan to return his wife, but Ravan refused. With the help of his brother, Lakshmana, and Lord Hanuman, the monkey god with the gift of flight, Lord Rama set out to Sri Lanka to confront Ravan and retrieve Sita. Rama enlisted the help of his troops to built a bridge across the ocean and engage in a fierce battle with Ravan to get Sita back.
It was prolonged and tiring, but Rama ultimately pierced Ravan’s body with hundreds of arrows. Finally, he was able to defeat Ravan by victimisation the Brahmasthra (a powerful celestial weapon created by Lord Brahma) and was reunited with mythical being. For Hindus, Dusshera is so Associate in Nursing auspicious time for reestablishing religion within the triumph of fine over evil.
Dussehra Meaning
Also referred to as Dasha-Hara, Dassera, and Durgotsav, this competition has its own distinctive that means. It is a festival that symbolizes the victory of good over evil. The word ‘Dussehra’ is made up of two Hindi words ‘dus’ and ‘hara’, where “dus” means ten and ‘hara’ is annihilated. Therefore, if these two words are combined, ‘Dussehra’ stands for the day when the ten evil faces (faced by Ravana) were destroyed by Lord Rama. The festival, which symbolizes the victory of good over evil, Dussehra, is one of the most notable Indian festivals. It is celebrated on the tenth day of Navratri. This festival is celebrated to commemorate the victory of Lord Rama over the demon Ravana. This sacred festival is believed to be the incarnation of Lord Rama, who is considered an incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the Hindu trinity.
When is Dussehra in 2020, 2021 and 2022?
• In 2020, Dussehra is on October 25, Sunday.
• In 2021, Dussehra is on Octber 15, Friday.
• In 2022, Dussehra is on October 5, Wednesday.
Dussehra Date Detailed Information
Although Dussehra falls on a single day each year, celebrations for the holiday actually take place on various days before and after the calendar date in different places across India. This is important to know in case you want to experience the festivities in various locations. Below are details about some of the Dussehra celebrations across India.
History of Dussehra
The festival of Dussehra describes its origin from the great Hindu epic Ramayana which states that Lord Rama, the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu, killed the ten-headed Satan Ravana in Satyuga, as Ravana abducted Lord Rama’s wife Sita.
Lord Rama was accompanied by his brother Lakshmana and a follower Hanuman with an army of monkeys who went all the way to Lanka (the kingdom of Ravana) to fight Ravana and bring Sita back. On his departure, Rama prayed to Durga to seek the blessings of the Goddess of courage and strength. Lord Rama finally killed Ravana and conquered evil. To celebrate this day, Vijayadashami or Dussehra is celebrated
Why do we celebrate Dussehra?
The festival of Dussehra signifies the victory of good over evil. Here how we celebrate Dussehra in different parts of India:
North India
In northern India, Dussehra signifies the victory of good over evil. The depiction of Lord Rama’s life in Ram Leela begins ten days before the Dussehra festival. These are performed by many amateur and professional theatre groups in cities, villages, and suburbs of northern India. On the day of Dussehra, huge effigies of Ravana, Meghnath, and Kumbhakarna are lit in the Ram Leela Maidan amidst the carnival-like atmosphere.
South India
In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, Dussehra celebrations begin nine days before Dussehra. In this region, these nine holy days are dedicated to the worship of the three main deities of Hinduism. Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped in the first three days, as she is said to be the best of wealth and prosperity, while Saraswati is prayed for the next three days, which is called the dualism of knowledge and art. The last three days are dedicated to the reverence of Mother Goddess, known as Shakti, Durga. In the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, miniature statues and beautiful tableaux of dolls are set up in artificial stages in homes, traditionally known as ‘Bommai Kolu’.
Eastern India
Dussehra is celebrated as the victory of the goddess Durga over a cruel and mighty satan named Mahishasura who had become so powerful that he had captured both heaven and earth. It is believed that after a long battle of nine days, the powerful goddess subdued her and killed her; Therefore, this day is celebrated as Vijayadashami. On this day, huge idols of Goddess Durga are immersed in rivers and seas with great reverence and are seen with pomp. In the state of Orissa, the festival is known as Vijoja Dashami. This day is celebrated as the culmination of Sharadiya Durga Puja.
West India
In Maharashtra, Dussehra festival is related to various interesting legends besides Lord Rama. On the day of Dussehra, the flour tree is worshipped and its leaves are gifted to the near and dear ones, with sweets being considered a good omen. It is also believed that it was on this day that the Pandavas of the Mahabharata, after completing 12 years of exile, retrieved their weapons from under a Shami tree, where they had stored them for safekeeping. The nine days before Dussehra are celebrated here as Navratri. The idols of the Goddess installed on the first day of Navratri are immersed in water on Dussehra. Thus, the festival of Dussehra has multifaceted importance in various regions of India’s multicultural land.
