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Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashmi, is a
major Indian festival celebrated on the
tenth day of Ashvin month according to the
Hindu calendar. This day falls in the month
of September or October. The day culminates
a 9 day fasting period of Navratri in the
Hindu culture. The day also coincides with
immersion of the idol of Goddess Durga. The
day is celebrated to commemorate the killing
of Ravana by Lord Rama. The day also
celebrates the killing of demon Mahishasur
by Goddess Durga. Dussehra celebration
spreads the message of the victory of good
over sin.
It is believed that the celebration of
Dussehra started in the 17th century, when
the king of Mysore ordered the celebration
of the day on a grand scale. Ever since, the
day is celebrated with great fervor and
energy. There are a lot of mythological
tales associated with the day. According to
Ramayana,
Ravana was killed by Lord Rama on this day
as revenge against the cruel act of
kidnapping Goddess Sita by the former.
Mythology also has it that Goddess Durga
killed demon Mahishasura after a long spell
of cruelty and oppression by Mahishasura.
Another story associated with the origins of
this day is the raining of gold coins. After
Kautsa asked King Raghu for 140 million
coins to give an offering to his Guru in
return for his knowledge, Raghuraja went to
Indra for help who then asked Lord Kuber to
rain coins on the city of Ayodhya. After
giving 140 million coins to his Guru, Kautsa
distributed the rest to the people of
Ayodhya.
Largely, the day is celebrated to
commemorate the prevalence of good over
evil. The day is celebrated on a large scale
in India as well as in Bangladesh. The most
famous Dussehra celebrations in India are
those in the city of Mysore. Goddess
Chamundeshwari is worshipped on this day and
a grand procession of her idol is taken out
across the city. Major buildings are
decorated with lights and color across the
city.
Other famous Dussehra celebrations in India
include that of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh,
Kolkata and Orissa, where the festival is
preceded by week long celebrations. People
visit the Pooja Pandals wearing new clothes,
prepare traditional food at home and
celebrate the festival with their friends
and families. In most other parts of India,
plays are organized across cities depicting
the story of Ramayana which culminates in
the killing of Ravana on this day. Statues
of Ravana are burnt everywhere in India on
Dussehra and in Delhi, the event is attended
by political dignitaries in the Ramlila
Maidan.
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