Dussehra is a festival that is celebratedwith considerable enthusiasm and excitement. Every year, at the end ofNavaratri, Vijayadashami, also known as Dussehra, Dasara, or Dashain, is aprominent Hindu holiday.
It is celebrated on the tenth day of Ashvin, the seventh month of the Hindu Luni-Solar Calendar, which occurs between September and October in the Gregorian calendar.
Ram Lila, a grand theatrical dramatization of Rama's life narrative, is performed in North India. Ravana's statues are often loaded with firecrackers and set ablaze in open fields at night, together with those of Meghnada (Ravana's son) and Kumbhkarana (Ravana's brother). This signifies the victory of good over evil.
The city of Kolkata is known as India's Dussehra capital. Once the celebrations begin and the atmosphere is infused with the intensity of the festivities, the 'City of Joy' truly lives up to its name.
CELEBRATION
Northern Indian celebrates this day by the performances of the Ramlila (a condensed rendition of the epic Ramayana).A major festival and parade featuring the goddess Chamundeshwari on a throne placed on elephants is seen in Mysore, Karnataka, Bengalis celebrate Bijoya Dashami, the tenth day of Durga puja, on the same day.
The goddess's idols are brought in processions and submerged in the river on this day. Married women put vermilion over one other's face. In Bengal, distinctive foods such as luchi (deep fried flat bread) and alur dom (deep fried spiced potato snacks) are prepared.The event is held in many parts of South India in honour of Maa Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of Knowledge and the Arts. People took care of their belongings and worship their means of livelihood, seeking Goddess Saraswati's blessings.
For the nine days of Navratras coming up to Dussehra or Vijayadashami, Hindus in Western India, particularly Gujarat, hold fasts and worship Goddess Durga's nine avatars. During these nine days, Dandiya and Garba are played. Maa Durga's idol is immersed in water on the tenth day, symbolizing her return to Mount Kailash with Lord Shiva.
Everyone has a different reason or story to celebrate it. It varies on the background and location. While the celebration has several names, its spirit remains the same: the victory of good over evil and the establishing of Dharma over Adharma. Dussehra or Vijayadashmi signifies the victory of good and the end of negativity and evil within us (biases, prejudices, and stereotypes). People also consider this as a new beginning, killing all the negative vibes and start a journey of their own thoughts.