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Dussehra Festival in India
Everyone loves a good dose of festive indulgence; there are no two ways about it! Dussehra, Vijaya Dashami or Dashain, call it by any name, but this festival is the perfect excuse to celebrate your fondness for festivity, tradition, and cultural extravaganza. From decorations and fireworks to food and fiesta, Dussehra is all these and so much more! It’s one festival that is celebrated across the country in a grand manner, albeit in surprisingly different ways. Read on to know how different regions across India indulge in Dussehra festivities.
An important festival in India for Hindus, Dussehra is celebrated in all the corners of the country. People get sparked with enthusiasm for the festive season. Dussehra festival in India is also known as “Dashmi”, denoted by the word “Ten” and is followed by a nine-day festival, Navratri. During Navratri, nine forms of Devi/Shakti (Hindu Goddess) are worshipped all around the country with slightly different rituals. And twenty days following Dussehra falls Deepavali festival; which too holds major significance in the country. If you are visiting India during the month of October/November, it is a blessing for those who want to embrace Indian culture at its best.
Dussehra 2021: What Is It? Why is Dussehra celebrated?
Dussehra festival marks the triumph of truth and love, over evil and hatred.
This simple principle spills faith and thrives humanity, all around the world. According to mythology, Ravana, the evil, kidnapped Goddess Sita and took her to his palace. During this time, Sita was forced to live far beyond the reach of her husband, Lord Rama. He was doing that so he could cross miles to reach her wife.
Accompanied by his brother Lakshman and Hanuman, Lord Rama found a way through the Indian Ocean to reach Ravana’s Lanka (palace). Lord Hanuman had an army of monkeys, which aimed at uniting the beloved souls. There were fierce battles and an ocean of blood flowed across the way. And finally, Lord Rama unshackled his love, Sita.
This event is commemorated with the name of Dussehra. Not just in Hinduism, but in every other religion in the world supports and promotes the idea of living with peace, love, togetherness, fearlessness, and purity; all of which is reflected in the story of Ramayana.
How is Dussehra celebrated?
There is a wave of enthusiasm and liveliness in the air in the streets of India during the festival of Dussehra. Though it is one of the popular festivals of Hindus, followers of every other religion come together to join the celebration of good over evil. There are family/community get-togethers on this day.
Dussehra is celebrated in Dashmi (Tenth day), which is followed by another nine-day Hindu festival, devoted to different human forms of a Devi (Goddess). And all of the days are filled with the pure spirit of festivity. During the course of these ten days, carnivals and fairs are organized all around the country, which is enjoyed by kids and adults alike.
There are different games, contests, and plays that take place at the Dussehra festival in India. With the arrival of this festival, comes the arrival of legendary theatrical performances of Ram Leela, which we discussed above. This play holds cultural significance in India, in which people take part with much enthusiasm. Also, the enactment of the mythological story enables the young generation to get updated with the aspects of their religion. And for the elders, it helps them relive the memories. Some people throng to the venues of plays and some sweep on their couch and watch it on televisions.
To celebrate good over evil, people of all ages celebrate Dussehra with much enthusiasm and fervor. Though this festival is celebrated all over India, every state has its significance and mode of celebrating the win of Lord Rama over evil Ravana. Here are some ways people celebrate Dussehra in India –
Processions: Many parts of India celebrate Dusshera by taking our large processions and carrying idols of Goddess Durga, Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Saraswati, Lord Ganesh, and Kartik to a river to immerse them. These processions are followed by music, dancing, singing, and merrymaking.
Ram Leela: Ram Leela is a Ramayana performed by people in several parts of the country. These are types of musicals where people including kids dress up as different characters from Ramayana and perform the scenes. It is a nine-day long play, which ends with the killing of Ravana on the day of Dussehra.
Ravan Dahan: On the day of the Dussehra festival, massive models are set on fire in different parts of India. These models are of the devil Ravana (believed to have ten heads) along with Kumbhkarana and Meghnad. The models are stuffed with crackers and are made with bamboo, paper, cloth, and other things. The sight of Ravan and his brothers getting caught by fire denotes the eradication of evil from the society and hearts of the people.
Along with these celebrations, people also burst crackers and host feasts with their family and friends. Sweets like jalebi, samosas, basundi, puran poli, sevaiyan, etc. are made/consumed by many places in India on Dussehra. Colorful fairs and exhibitions are also put up at several spots that add to the vibes of the Dussehra festival in India.
Top Places to Celebrate Dussehra in India
- Delhi
- Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
- Kullu, Himachal Pradesh
- Mysore, Karnataka
- Kolkata, West Bengal
- Ahmedabad, Gujarat
- Bastar, Chhattisgarh
- Madikeri, Karnataka
- Kota, Rajasthan
- Hyderabad, Telangana
- Tamil Nadu
- Maharashtra
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