Dussehra Festival

The final day of the Navaratri festival is known as Dussehra. Celebrated on the tenth day of the waxing moon day of the Hindu month of Ashwin, this day commemorates the defeat of the demon God Ravana by Lord Rama. It is believed that the Lord Rama along with his brother Lakshmana and an army of monkeys defeated the Ravana in a colossal battle that lasted for ten long days. The Lord was an ardent devotee of Goddess Durga and is said to have prayed to her fervently during the course of the nine before slewing the beastly ruler Ravana. He shot Ravana with a bow that pierced his navel and out flow the nectar of immortality that was the source of invincibility. The Lord also killed Ravana’s brother Kumbhakarna who is dubiously remembered for his ability to hibernate for six months a year. In addition to that the Lakshmana also killed Ravana son’s Meghanath. More than a festival of the celebration of good over evil Dussehra is festival of faith and endurance. A festival that constantly points out that persistence and perseverance in the true earnest always prevails. To this day Lord Rama Lila is still remembered and enacted in open ground in towns and villages around India.

Another facet of Dussehra is that of Goddess Durga killing the buffalo demon Mahishasura. According to popular mythology, Mahishasura through his unparallel meditation won favor with Gods and In turn received indomitable power. He used his power to raise havoc at the gates of heaven. This infuriated the Gods who combined forces together to form Durga. Hence the Goddess Durga has the combined strength of all God’s and has a weapon of each of the God’s.

Dussehra is celebrated- Dussehra is celebrated usually in early September and early October every year. The date of the festival is determined by the lunar calendar and the day usually falls on the 10^th day of the waxing moon in the Hindu month of Ashwin.

Where is Dussehra celebrated? - Dussehra is pre dominantly a north Indian festival and is celebrated in North Indian. The festivities reach its peak in the cities of Delhi and Varanasi where RamLeelas are organized commemorating the victory of Lord Rama who slew the evil Ravana. Ramleela celebrations are organized in every part of North India today. The main reason for this is the large migrant population that has branched out in various cities in north west India. Elsewhere in India, Dussehra celebration takes place in Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh. Dussehra is also celebrated with pomp and fervor in Mysore in Karnataka and Kota in Rajasthan. In West Bengal Navtathri and Dussehra are celebrated as Durga Puja.

How is Dussehra celebrated? – The observances and the celebration of Dussehra vary from the length and the breadth of this country. However because of the large migrant population that is part of every Indian city the festival is celebrated or commemorated in various different ways according to one’s ethnicity. In North India there are Ramleela, Songs and dance performances that deal with the life of the Lord Rama and conclude with the Lord slewing the demon Ravana. Huge effigies of the demon are burnt. These shows are especially big in Varanasi and Delhi. In Mysore, Karnataka there are cultural performances and fairs and the highlight of the 10 day festival is the grand parade of decorated elephants and guards to escort the Goddess through the city. In Kullu, Himachal Pradesh the deities of the Goddess are carried around in chariots.

Rituals performed during Dussehra- Dussehra are considered as an auspicious time of the year and tools and various requistes for work are worshiped on the day. Nowadays even Laptops and computing devices are worshipped. This practice or ritual performed during this day is firmly grounded in tradition. According to the legend in the epic Mahabharata, Arjuna hid one of his weapons in a tree and when he returned a year later on the day of Dussehra he retrieved it. Hence he worshipped the weapons along with the tree.