It was Treta Yuga when Supreme Lord Ram descended on the Earth to protect His devotees, kill the miscreants, and re-establish the Dharmic principles. Ravana was the king of Lanka but the kingdom did not seem to flourish. He was full of pride, envy, ego, anger, and greed. He looked down upon everyone and considered himself their master.
Later, captivated by the beauty of Mother Sita, the wife of Lord Ram, he kidnapped Her and took Her to Lanka. Shri Ram then sent Hanuman Ji and Sugriva in all directions to search for Mother Sita. Hanuman Ji took the mission of crossing the great Indian Ocean and finding Sita Mata. He burnt various places in Lanka and delivered Lord Ram’s message to Mother Sita.
But Ravana was so engrossed in his pitiful actions that he did not care to take Hanuman’s warning seriously. In the end, Lord Ram came to Lanka and attacked Ravana with His powerful bow. As He released His Brahmastra, it sped like air and stroked the chest of the wicked Ravana taking his life air along with it.
This day is celebrated as Dussehra or Ramachandra Vijayotsava. It is observed on the day of Vijaya Dashmi, the tenth day of the month of Ashwin. Dussehra is one of the most celebrated festivals in India. Culturally, socially, and traditionally, our country is diverse and people from different parts of India follow a unique way of celebrating this festival. Let us travel through the unique celebrations of 10 different places in India.
Foreign travelers who came to the state of Vijayanagar- Abdur Razzak (1413-1482), Domingo Paes (1520), and Fernao Nuniz (1536) in great detail mentioned the pompous celebrations of Dussehra by the rulers of the grand city.
After the fall of Vijayanagar, along with its administrative and artistic heritage, the celebration of Dussehra was preserved by Mysore kings, who held an assembly for their commanders from all over the kingdom, a splendid court gathering, processions of beautifully decorated elephants during which the palace was decorated with glowing lamps and torches, turning into a heavenly vision, a tradition which continues till date, when the Mysore palace is drenched in lights every Dussehra.
The occasion of Dussehra for the people of Mysore marks the victory of their tutelary goddess Devi Chamundeshwari or Durga, over Mahishasura, and is one of the most enchanting festivals all over India and the world.
The story of Kullu Dussehra is one that belongs to the world of folk tales and oral traditions of the hill people, exemplifying their devotion to Raghunath, for whom the festival is celebrated. Raja Jagat Singh of Kullu one day got to learn about a local farmer who was believed to possess pearls or Moti. Little did the king know that the treasure of the farmer was his “pearls of wisdom” and not any material wealth.
Determined to get the pearls from him, the king released an ultimatum. The farmer must bring the pearls to the king or he would kill him. Unable to make the king understand the truth of his “pearls”, the farmer placed a curse on the king, and by the time the soldiers and the ruler reached the hut of the farmer, he had self-immolated.
The king suffered the consequence of killing an innocent as the curse began to appear. Finally, he found a saint named Krishnadas Payahari who told the king that only Raghunath or Sri Rama of Ayodhya would remove the curse, and the king must obtain the icon of the sanctum from Ayodhya.
A Brahmin was sent to Ayodhya, who managed to steal the deity from the Tretnath Temple, and by the time the people of Ayodhya could find the icon, it had reached Kullu, where Raghunath was crowned the Lord of Kullu. His procession was celebrated and the king was cured, and since then, the Ratha of Raghunath appears among the people of Kullu every Vijaya Dashmi to bless them.
The celebration of Navaratri, the nine nights of the goddess, ends in Bengal with the festivity of Bijoy Dashami. The Pandaals are enlivened by visitors, dancers, and devotees who along with Maa Durga, celebrate Dashami as the day when evil was defeated by Durga.
A heartwarming ritual is the Debi Boron, where married women gather around the statue of Maa Durga, offer her sweet, adorn her forehead with Sindoor, and pray for her benevolence and protection for the rest of the year, along with an invitation for her arrival in the upcoming year.
The Sindoor Khela (playing with vermilion) is also done on Bijoy Dashami, where women playfully apply vermillion on one another, celebrating their auspiciousness and happiness as married women or Sadhva (considered fortunate in Hindu culture).
Colors in the air and tears in the eyes as the time for Maa’s departure is nearing, Dussehra in West Bengal has an emotionally charged and tender atmosphere, unparalleled for how it connects people with the divine mother.
Local and global come together in the celebrations of Dussehra in Kota, Rajasthan. Though mainly a Mela or fair, Kota Dussehra has its roots in the medieval period when it was started under the reign of Hada Rajput rulers in the 18th century. Royal processions and assembly of all the “Thikanedar” (a term used for Jagirdars in Rajasthan), and worship at temples were the important events of Dussehra under the royals.
In modern times, the unique Putla or effigies of Ravana and his family, which measure several feet and have intriguing conceptualization each year, along with the poetry competitions, programs with movie stars, and performances by regional artists of Rajasthan and India attract people from Rajasthan as well as neighboring states with the scale and richness of the celebrations.
Celebrated by the local and tribal population of Chattisgarh’s Bastar, Dussehra in this Eastern Indian state is also marked by the presence of the royal dynasty and the local goddess called Danteshwari, whose temple is located in Jagadalpur.
The festivities spanned for 10 days and started in the 15th century by Purushottam Deo, the local king. Beginning with Kunwar Amavasya, the celebrations end with the reverence of Danteshwari and fairs and gatherings, where folk performers, singers, artists, and people come together, to enjoy and preserve the century-old local culture of the state.
Located in Ramnagar of Varanasi, the artists who perform Ram Lila in this ancient city have continued the tradition for over 200 years to attract devotees and lovers of Indian culture from all over the globe. Since the Ram Lila performance goes on for a month, Varanasi becomes a host to people who wait in lines and gather in large numbers every day, to experience the grand epic of Rama.
The performance ends with Vijaya Dashami, when Sri Rama defeats Ravana and people celebrate with the army of Rama. The lanes of Varanasi and every resident becomes a part of Ram Lila during these 31 days, making Ram Lila an unforgettable event for anyone who is lucky enough to be in the city.
The history of Ramlila in Delhi goes back to the Mughal period when the Hindu soldiers in the army of the Mughal Badshah planned and performed Ramlila near the riverside of Yamuna, behind the Red Fort. In 1930 the site of Ramlila performance was changed and shifted to the current Ramlila Maidan, which has itself gained popularity due to its association with several major political events.
Though the famed Ramlila Maidan’s Ramlila is one of the most widely visited celebrations, a number of other areas in Delhi host fairs and cultural performances on the occasion of Dussehra visited by the locals of the city every year.
Another distinct folk cultural festival is celebrated during Dussehra in the village of Kulasekarapattinam, in Tamil Nadu. Mutharamman Devi is the central deity of this celebration, whose temple is filled with devotees flocking from the surrounding villages.
Processions of gods and goddesses appear in the village streets, with people dancing joyously and observing fast for self-purification. The Kulasai Dussehra goes on for 12 days in total, with the main attraction being the people dressed in divine attires of Kali, Durga, Chamunda, and other goddesses.
Vidyarambha (beginning of education) or Akshara Abhsya (practice of alphabets) is a regional ritual, rather than a festival, which is observed among the many other sacred practices on the last day of Navaratri. Children are introduced to learning in this ceremony by their elders and goddess Saraswati, is worshipped as the bestower of wisdom, art, and creativity. People also celebrate Vijaya Dashami by doing Ayudha puja, worshipping the tools of their industry.
The Newari Hindus of Nepal as well as communities in Sikkim, Assam, Sri Lanka, and other states celebrate the festival of Dussehra as Dashain. Popularized by the regional and universal elements that unite in the festivities of Nepal, Dashain begins with the placing of a pot or Ghatasthapana, an auspicious symbol in Hinduism that also embodies the fertile and fortunate powers of the divine goddess.
Wheat grains are sown in the mud placed under this pot and worship is done by the royal family members. On the seventh day, which is called “Phulpatti” (flower and leaves), the armies and commanders of the Nepal king gathered around the palace, which is now done by the national army of Nepal. Naumati- the nine local musical instruments of the Himalayan kingdom are played during the celebrations and processions of Dashain.
The eight-day or Ashtami is for the reverence of goddess Kali, who is appeased with various sacrificial offerings and the ritual of “Khadag Puja”, the sacred weapon of the goddess. The Bijay Dashami is observed by making a mix of the saplings of wheat growing from the Ghata and yogurt, rice, and vermillion, which is applied as “Tika” on the foreheads of people by the community elders. The following days are also filled with festivities with the rituals of Papakunsha Ekadashi and Kojagrat Purnima.
The legend of Rama’s victory over Ravana among the many tales of Ramayana lives in the culture of India, coming to the forefront during the festival of Dussehra. Across the Indian subcontinent, communities have developed their own ways of observing the day, each of which expresses their affection for their gods and goddesses, who are at the centre of Dussehra celebrations.
While royal scenes of processions, decoration, and numerous people assembled together to give the festival a grand image, the deepest message of Dussehra is preserved in the Rama-Lila played by young children in the common household, where the child embodies Rama and holding on to his bow with pride, envisions the slaying of Ravana, as he is cheered by claps and slogans of “Jai Sri Rama”!
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