Effigy of demon king Ravan along with Kumbhkarana and Meghnath at Red fort

  • 2 years ago
Dussehra also known as 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. 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.

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.


There are many local celebrations in some areas in India that can last for up to 10 days. Local events include:
1. Performances of the Ramlila (a short version of the epic Ramayana) in Northern India.
2. 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.
3. The blessing of household and work-related tools, such as books, computers, cooking pans and vehicles in the state of Karnataka.
4. The preparation of special foods, including luchi (deep fried flat bread) and alur dom (deep fried spiced potato snacks), in Bengal.

Source: http://www.timeanddate.com

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