Vijaya Dashmi Festival of India
Name of Festival : Dussehra / Vijaya Dashmi Festival
Major Territory of Celebration
Dussehra / Vijaya Dashmi Festival is celebrated in All over India
Time of celebration (Months)
Dussehra / Vijaya Dashmi Festival is celebrated in the month of September end to early October
Worship in Festival
In this day people worship the Goddess Durga
About Festival
Dussehra falling on the last day of Navaratri or Durga puja arrives in the month of October. It is also know as Vijaya Dashami ,Dasara, Dashahara, Navaratri, Durgotdsav.
Dussehra is one of the very important festivals of India and it is celebrated in the lunar month of Ashwin (usually in September or October) from the Shukla Paksha Pratipada (the next of the New moon day of Bhadrapada) to the Dashami or the tenth day of Ashwin.
This festival is celebrated almost all part of India but in but also Java, Sumatra, Japan etc. Dasara is national festival of Nepal’s.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.
Literally mean of Dussehra is that which takes away ten sins. This festival is mark the defeat of Ravana by Lord Rama.During the time of Navaratri Ramlila is held an enactment of the life of Lord Rama. It is a folk play. Songs are sung in praise of Rama and people in thousands witness this traditional theatre with its exaggerated costumes, jewelry, makeup and drama.On the 10th day, larger than life effigies of Ravana, his son and brother -Meghnath and Kumbhakarna, are set alight.
History of Dussehra Festival
As per Ramayan, Ram did Chandi-Puja and invoked the blessings of Durga tokill Ravana, the ten-headed king of Lanka who hadabducted Sita.Durga discuss the secret to Ram how he could kill Ravana. After vanquishing him, Ram with Sita and Laxman returned victorious to his kingdom of Ayodhya.
In West Bengal, puja pandals have beautifully decorated images of the goddess Durga and people gather here in large numbers to enjoy the festivities.
Mysore, the city of palaces in Karnataka celebrates the ten day Dussehra in a royal style.
In Gujarat, the exuberant Navaratri celebrations include dancing the lively ‘garba’ and ‘dandiya ras’ dances.
