Dussehra

Dussehra (Vijaya Dashami, Dasara, or Dashain) is a Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. It is a gazetted holiday in India, which is marked on the 10th day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the month of Ashvin (Ashwayuja), according to the Hindu calendar.

What do people do?

Many people of the Hindu faith observe Dussehra through special prayer meetings and food offerings to the gods at home or in temples throughout India. They also hold outdoor fairs (melas) and large parades with effigies of Ravana (a mythical king of ancient Sri Lanka). The effigies are burnt on bonfires in the evening. Dussehra is the culmination of the Navaratri festival.
There are many local celebrations in some areas in India that can last for up to 10 days. Local events include:

• Performances of the Ramlila (a short version of the epic Ramayana) in Northern India.
• A large festival and procession including the goddess Chamundeshwari on a throne mounted on elephants in the town of Mysore in the state of Karnataka.
• The blessing of household and work-related tools, such as books, computers, cooking pans and vehicles in the state of Karnataka.
• The preparation of special foods, including luchi (deep fried flat bread) and alur dom (deep fried spiced potato snacks), in Bengal.

Many Hindus also believe that it is lucky to start a new venture, project or journey on Dussehra. They may also exchange gifts of leaves from the Shami tree (Prosopis spicigera) as a symbol of the story of the Pandavas brothers' exile in the Mahabharata stories.

Public life

Government offices, post offices and banks are closed in India on Dussehra. Stores and other businesses and organizations may be closed or have reduced opening hours. Those wishing to use public transport on the day may need to contact the local transport authorities to check on timetables.

Background

Dussehra celebrates the Hindu god Rama's victory over the demon king Ravana and the triumph of good over evil. The epic Ramayana tells the mythical story of the Lord Rama who wins the lovely Sita for his wife, only to have her carried off by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka.
Ravana plays an important role in the Ramayana. Ravana had a sister known as Shoorpanakha. She fell in love with the brothers Rama and Lakshamana and wanted to marry one of them. Lakshamana refused to marry her and Rama could not as he was already married to Sita.
Shoorpanakha threatened to kill Sita, so that she could marry Rama. This angered Lakshamana who cut off Shoorpanakha's nose and ears. Ravana then kidnapped Sita to avenge his sister's injuries. Rama and Lakshamana later fought a battle to rescue Sita. The monkey god Hanuman and a huge army of monkeys helped them.
The Mahabharata is another series of Hindu myths that play a role in the Dussehra festival. The Pandavas were five brothers who fought evil forces with a set of distinctive weapons. They abandoned their weapons and went into exile for one year. They hid their weapons in a Shami tree and found them at the same place when they returned from exile. They then worshipped the tree before going to a battle, which they won. This epic is also commemorated during Dussehra.

Symbols

Symbols seen throughout the Dussehra/Vijaya Dashami celebrations include:

• Bonfires and fireworks
• Paper and wood effigies of Ravana.
• Red spots (tika) painted on people's foreheads.

The effigies of Ravana are often burnt on the bonfires.

Celebrations in North India: Dussehra celebrations in North India witness the performances of Ramlila which is considered to be a short version of Ramayana. In Ramlila, scenes from Lord Rama’s life such as his reunion with his brother Bharat and the defeat of Ravana are performed by artists. In addition, the return of Lord Rama, his wife Sita, and his brother Lakshmana to their kingdom Ayodhya at the end of 14 years of exile is also enacted as a drama by artists.

One of the most popular Dussehra celebrations include the burning of effigies of Ravana, Meghnad (Ravana’s son), and Kumbhakarna (Ravana’s brother) in fairs or ‘melas’ organized at huge grounds. In Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh, people take out a huge procession with deities mounted on palanquins of various colors and designs. The deities are taken to the ‘maidan’ in Kullu in order to show their respect to Lord Rama or Raghunathji. The Ramlila is a popular attraction of Dussehra celebrations in Kullu Valley.

Celebrations in South India: Dussehra celebrations in South India involve the worship of Goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Durga for three days each, during nine days preceding the festival.

Mysore is known for its procession of caparisoned elephants, which adds to the festivities. The colorful procession of the elephants across the vibrant streets of Mysore is something you’d never want to miss. Dussehra 2011 will witness similar celebrations in Mysore. Like Mysore, cities in Andhra Pradesh too observe this festival. However, the festival in this state is known as Dasara.

A special highlight of the festive celebrations in South India is decorating artificial steps with miniature statues and dolls, colorful flowers and glowing lamps. The statues and dolls are known as 'Bommai Kolu'. These statues and dolls are offered a special kind of ‘prasad’ known as ‘choondal’. It’s a recipe made with chickpeas.

On the day of Dussehra or Vijaya Dashami, the statues and idols are ceremoniously taken down. This is the day for starting one’s education or any form of art. This is known as Vidyarambham. On this day, people worship Saraswati, the Goddess of learning and art. In Karnataka, people worship household items and tools that are used to earn income. This may include worshipping cars as well as laptops.

If you reside in South India or visit the places there in Dussehra 2011, you’ll get to see similar festivities as mentioned here.

Celebrations in West India: In the state of Maharashtra in West India, people consider Dussehra to be an auspicious occasion to start their new venture. They visit their dear ones’ homes and exchange sweets. They worship the Aapta tree and exchange its leaves on this day.

In Maharashtra, the Shami tree is worshipped, as it is under such a tree that the Pandavas had kept their weapons when they had been on exile for 12 years. The Pandavas are said to have taken out the weapons on the day of Dussehra.

Celebrations in East India: Dussehra falls on the date of Vijaya Dashami, the day when Goddess Durga’s idol is immersed in the sea, rivers, or lakes in Eastern India. In Orissa, people celebrate ‘Ravan Podi’ after they participate in the submersion of the idol of Durga. The ‘Ravan Podi’ is all about burning the idol of Ravana.

Other highlights of this festival: Dussehra is celebrated with fireworks and feasts. People make their offerings at temples or perform a puja at their homes. They prefer putting a red tika or spot on the foreheads of their dear ones on this auspicious occasion. People also send their warmest greetings to their dear ones by sending Dussehra cards on this special occasion. You too can convey your special wishes to your loved ones on Dussehra 2011.

What is the History and Significance of Dussehra?

History: Dussehra is related to the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Ramayana is the tale of the greatness of Lord Rama, son of King Dasaratha of Ayodhya. It narrates how Rama defeated and killed Ravana to save his wife Sita who was abducted by the demon king. The story goes like this:

Ravana’s sister Shoorpanakha fell in love with Lakshmana and desired to marry him. But the latter refused and cut off Shoorpanakha's nose. To avenge this act of Lakshmana, Ravana carried off Sita to his kingdom, Lanka. With the help of Hanuman (monkey god) and other monkeys, Rama and Lakshmana fought a battle with Ravana to rescue Sita.

The story of Mahabharata in relation to Dussehra is about the five Pandava brothers who were sent to exile for twelve years and one year of disguise by the Kauravas. This was due to the fact that the Pandavas lost to the Kauravas in gambling. Since they had to spend one year in disguise, therefore, they hid their weapons under a Shami tree to avoid being recognized. It was from this place that the Pandavas retrieved their weapons and fought the battle of Kuruskshetra, thus defeating the Kauravas. Since then, the concept of hugging each other under the Shami tree and exchanging its leaves came into being.

Significance: The festival of Dussehra symbolizes the triumph of goodness over evil. It celebrates not just the victory of Lord Rama but also the triumph of mankind. The burning of the effigies of Ravana is a sign of the power of goodness and destruction of the evil. The Ramlila performances or enactment of the Ram-Ravana war on the streets symbolize the fact that one should follow the truth and dharma to become victorious.

No doubt, Dussehra is celebrated with pomp and grandeur. But one shouldn’t forget the underlying idea behind it - ‘Good overcoming the evil’. So, celebrate the victory of good over evil on Dussehra 2011 and enjoy the festivities all around.