Festivals of India–Dussehra

 

Happy Dusshehra !!

The festival of  Vijayadashami is being celebrated all over the country …. it is also known as Dussehra.It is one of the most important Hindu festivals celebrated in various forms, across India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Vijaya Dashami is the tenth and the last day of the ten day long Dussehra  festival. Vijaya Dashami is celebrated on Ashweyuja sukla Paksha Dashami or the tenth day of the waxing phase of the moon of the month of Aswayuja Month as per the Lunar calendar. The day also marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasur.

In India, the harvest season begins at this time and so the Mother Goddess is invoked to start the new harvest season and reactivate the vigor and fertility of the soil. This is done through religious performances and rituals which are thought to invoke cosmic forces that rejuvenate the soil. Many people of the Hindu faith observe through social gatherings and food offerings to the gods at home and in temples throughout Nepal and India.

Vijaya Dashami as the name suggest is a mark of victory , vijaya means victory and Dashami is the tenth day. This day is known as Vijaya Dashami because it is on Vijaya Dashami that Rama Killed Ravana.

Largely, the day is celebrated to commemorate the prevalence of good over evil. The day is celebrated on a large scale in India as well as in Bangladesh. The most famous Dussehra celebrations in India are those in the city of Mysore. Goddess Chamundeshwari is worshipped on this day and a grand procession of her idol is taken out across the city. Major buildings are decorated with lights and color across the city.

Other famous Dussehra celebrations in India include that of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, Kolkata and Orissa, where the festival is preceded by week long celebrations. People visit the Pooja Pandals wearing new clothes, prepare traditional food at home and celebrate the festival with their friends and families. In most other parts of India, plays are organized across cities depicting the story of Ramayana which culminates in the killing of Ravana on this day. Effigies of Ravana are burnt at many places in India on Dussehra .