Dussehra or Vijayadasami is a festival of India and is celebrated throughout India by different names. It is celebrated for ten days and the tenth day is celebrated as Vijayadasami. The festival usually falls in the Hindu month of Ashwina sometime in September or October. It is quite interesting to know that there are a number of legends associated with this festival.
In southern India the festival is known as Navaratri and Vijayadasami marks the end of the festive celebration. It is believed that Goddess Durga also known as Chamundeshwari or Mahishasura mardini defeated the buffalo demon Mahishasura. This is said to have taken place in the vicinity of Mysore, Karnataka. In Tamil Nadu it is called the festival of Navaratri and incorporates the worship of Goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Parvathi. In south India many families start the education of their kids on Dussehra or Vijayadasami. It is also a day of paying homage to the teachers who teach music to the children. Further down south the ninth day of the festival Dussehra is celebrated as Ayudh pooja where people perform a pooja on all the daily implements like computers, books, etc. In southern India in states like in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra people arrange dolls known as kolu and invite people to visit their kolu.
Another interesting legend that is associated with the festival of Dussehra is that Rama who was a ardent devotee of Goddess Durga prayed to her and won the battle against Ravana and killed him. Rama also killed the brother of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and his son Meghnath and returns to Ayodhya along with his wife Sita who was abducted by the ten headed demon Ravana. Dussehra is celebrated in Bengal as Durga pooja. Durga pooja is the most important festival of the Bengalis and is celebrated with a festive vigor for ten days. The Bengalis worship the clay idols of Goddess Durga and on the tenth day a grand procession is conducted and the idols are immersed in water. In some parts of India Ram Lila which is a legendary story of Lord Rama is enacted for 10 days and in the last day effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnath are burnt and it signifies the victory of evil over good. Dussehra is also known as Dasa- hara which actually means destroying the ten heads of Ravana by Rama.
In India any festival would be incomplete without rich food. Many special dishes are prepared in the festive occasion of Dussehra and each region has its own specials that are cooked on this festive occasion. Apart from sweets there are various other dishes prepared during the pooja.
Dussehra is always considered to be an auspicious day and it is believed that any venture started on this day would be successful. It is for this reason that many of them formerly start educating their children on this holy and auspicious day. Even new business ventures like laying foundation and reopening of commercial establishments also take place this day.
Indian festivals are always characterized by rich celebration and good tasty food. Festival is an occasion of joy and celebration and Dussehra is an important festival as it marks the victory of good over evil. Though Dussehra is celebrated for ten days it us the last three days of the festival that is celebrated throughout India by different names.
See Also
Baisakhi, Dussehra , Ganesh Chaturthi, Holi, Krishna Jayanthi