Dussehra,
also known as Vijaya Dashami, is an Indian festival that celebrates
good forces over evil forces. It spans for 10 days and is celebrated in
varied traditions across India.
Pictured above is the Ramayana epic carved on a wooden door inside a temple. ©iStockphoto.com/Luciano Mortula
There are many local celebrations in some areas in India that can last for up to 10 days. Local events include:
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.
The Mahabharata is another series of Hindu myths that play a role in the Dussehra festival. The Pandavas were five brothers who fought evil forces with a set of distinctive weapons. They abandoned their weapons and went into exile for one year. They hid their weapons in a Shami tree and found them at the same place when they returned from exile. They then worshipped the tree before going to a battle, which they won. This epic is also commemorated during Dussehra.
Dussehra
(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.
Pictured above is the Ramayana epic carved on a wooden door inside a temple. ©iStockphoto.com/Luciano Mortula
What do people do?
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.There are many local celebrations in some areas in India that can last for up to 10 days. Local events include:
- Performances of the Ramlila (a short version of the epic Ramayana) in Northern India.
- 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.
- The blessing of household and work-related tools, such as books, computers, cooking pans and vehicles in the state of Karnataka.
- The preparation of special foods, including luchi (deep fried flat bread) and alur dom (deep fried spiced potato snacks), in Bengal.
Public life
Government offices, post offices and banks are closed in India on Dussehra. Stores and other businesses and organizations may be closed or have reduced opening hours. Those wishing to use public transport on the day may need to contact the local transport authorities to check on timetables.Background
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.
The Mahabharata is another series of Hindu myths that play a role in the Dussehra festival. The Pandavas were five brothers who fought evil forces with a set of distinctive weapons. They abandoned their weapons and went into exile for one year. They hid their weapons in a Shami tree and found them at the same place when they returned from exile. They then worshipped the tree before going to a battle, which they won. This epic is also commemorated during Dussehra.
Symbols
Symbols seen throughout the Dussehra/Vijaya Dashami celebrations include:- Bonfires and fireworks
- Paper and wood effigies of Ravana.
- Red spots (tika) painted on people's foreheads.
Dussehra Observances
Note: During a gazetted holiday, government offices and most businesses are closed so people have a day off work.Weekday  | Date | Year  | Name | Holiday type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed | Oct 12 | 2005 | Dussehra | Gazetted Holiday |
| Sun | Oct 1 | 2006 | Dussehra | Gazetted Holiday |
| Fri | Oct 19 | 2007 | Dussehra | Gazetted Holiday |
| Thu | Oct 9 | 2008 | Dussehra | Gazetted Holiday |
| Mon | Sep 28 | 2009 | Dussehra | Gazetted Holiday |
| Sun | Oct 17 | 2010 | Dussehra | Gazetted Holiday |
| Thu | Oct 6 | 2011 | Dussehra | Gazetted Holiday |
