Significance and history of Dussehra
Vijayadashami is also known as Dussehra or Navaratri. It is celebrated depicting the victory of good over evil with devotional beliefs and happiness all over India. The word Vijayadashami is taken from the Sanskrit word “Vijaya Dashami” which means victory on the day of Dashami. The tenth day of the lunar calendar is considered to be Dashami.
Dussehra is celebrated on the victory of good considering the two important events that took place on Dussehra, one being Goddess Durga killing the demon king Mahishasura and Lord Rama defeating Raavana.
Story of Dussehra Festival
According to Ramayana, the demon king Ravana kidnapped Lord Rama’s wife Sita. He took Sita to his kingdom LankaVanam and held her captive. Lord Rama traveled to Lanka by building a stone bridge to cross the ocean with his brother Lakshmana, Lord Hanuman, and an army of monkeys. He killed the ten-headed demon Ravana on the tenth day of the battle and comes back to Ayodhya after 14 years. Since then, the 10 heads of Ravana effigies are burnt every year on Dashami symbolizing the triumph of good over evil.
The second story is as follows,
According to Puranas, powerful demons or Asuras were trying to defeat the Gods and were aiming to take control of Heaven. An Asura in the form of buffalo, named Mahishasura was growing powerful and started creating havoc on the earth. Gods got defeated under his leadership while the whole world was suffering under Mahishasura’s cruel acts. The Gods then decided to destroy him and combined all their energies into Shakti. A powerful band of lightning emerged from the mouths of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheswara formed into a young and beautiful female with ten hands, which had all the special weapons given to her by Gods. Shakti took the form of goddess Durga Maa, who while riding a lion fought bitterly against Mahishasura for nine days and nights. On the tenth day, Durga Maa defeated and killed Mahishasura.
How is Dussehra celebrated?
The Dussehra is celebrated on the tenth day of Navratri and is also known as Durga Puja. Durga Maa is worshipped in ten different forms in these ten days: Maa Shailputri, Maa Chandraghanta, Maa Skandmata, and the other avatars of Goddess Durga. People organize dance and drama skits that are based on Ramayana. The skits and plays of RamLeela are popular all over the world. The tenth day of Durga Puja is an emotional one for the worshipping devotees. On this day, the idols of Goddess Durga are immersed in rivers and oceans.There is a belief that after the immersion, Goddess Durga Maa returns to Mount KailasaGiri and reunites with Lord Shiva. During the immersion, devotees sing various devotional songs and offer prayers to Goddess Durga and ask for her blessings.
People buy new vehicles, clothes, properties, or other new things on the day of Dussehra. It is an auspicious occasion and is believed to be the perfect day to start a new project or business. People often pray for a new beginning in their lives and also ask for forgiveness for any wrongdoings. It is believed that good Prosperity and health are given to devotees who perform pooja well.
Celebrating Dussehra plays an important part in Indian culture. The feeling of being close to God and performing pooja is irreplaceable. The vibrant colors, the huge idols, and the relatable themes act as major attractions for foreign tourists.