Vijaya Dashami Or Dassera/Dussera
October 5, 2007
This festival is celebrated throughout India as a sign of triumphant victory of good over evil. The word Dassera/Dasara/Dussehra comes from the word “Dus” which means ten and “Hra” stands for annihilation-The end of the ten-faced one i.e Ravan, the King of Lanka from the epic Ramayana.
On this day, Lord Ram killed the great demon King Ravan, who had abducted his wife Sita to his kingdom. Lord Ram along with his brother Lakshman/Laxman, his greatest devotee Hanuman and an army of monkeys fought a great battle to rescue Sita. The war against Ravan lasted for ten days.
In the great epic Mahabharata, the Pandavas after wandering in the forest for 12 years hung their weapons on a Shami tree before entering the court of King Virat to spend the last one year in disguise. After the completion of that year, on Vijaya Dashami, they brought down the weapons from the tree and declared their true identity. Since that day the exchange of Shami leaves on Dassera day became symbols of goodwill and victory.
During this auspicious period, recitations from the great epic of Ramayana are discussed. They are dramatized and known as Ramlila which give a new dimension to these legends. They recreate the situations with music and dance which depict the exploits of Lord Ram. It helps the younger generation to blend in with the old one and they get a glimpse of their rich cultural heritage. Ramlilas are very popular in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Huge idols and effigies of Ravan are made of wood, straws and paper Mache. The audience eagerly awaits for the finale of the Ramlila when the actor enacting the role of Lord Ram uses a bow and a burning arrow and sets fire to the replica of King Ravan. Thus symbolizing the end of evil. In some places, idols of Ravan’s brother Kumbhakarn and his son Meghnath are also burnt. Inside the wooden framework of these idols, are crackers and rockets which burst into mid-air, bringing cheer and happiness to all.It spreads the message that those who lead their lives harnessing negativity, malice and evil will one day perish in the hands of pure-hearted and blessed souls.
Dassera in Mysore city is something that one must see to believe the grandeur of India. The city’s name Mysore is derived from the demon Mahisasura who was killed by Goddess Chamundeshwari. She is none other than Goddess Durga herself. She is known amongst her devotees with thousand different names. The tradition of celebrating Dassera in Mysore was started in 1610 by Raja Wodeyar and it still continues by his descendants. People from all over the world come to see the Dassera procession also known as Jumboo Savan. The procession is like a parade which consists of dancers, jugglers, music bands, festoons and many more. But the main attraction of this procession is the idol of the Goddess which is placed on a golden Mantapa on the top of a decorated elephant.
Dassera is also thought as ‘The entry of God’ and is celebrated by decorating the entrance of houses, offices and shops with marigold flowers alternated with mango leaves in a string. It is called Toran. These garlands are seen adorned on vehicles, machineries, books and also tools.
No celebration is complete without good food and sweets. As this festival is celebrated throughout India, each state has its own specialty that is made for this auspicious occasion. Some prepare Malpuas, Kalakand, Angori Rabdi, Kesar Malai Peda and many more. It is up to each person to indulge in the sweet of their choice because at this time of the year, they are all spoilt for choices.
©Nayna, 2007. All Rights Reserved.
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This is a very nice and illuminating article. Continued from the earlier one about Durga Puja. There are so many things to learn about so many festivals of India, much of which most of us take for granted. After reading this article, so many details are now available to me, which I will especially pay attention to on this Dussera.Thank you.
Hello Adistin. Thank you for being our regular reader and a source of continous encouragement. We appreciate your thoughtful and meaningful insights to our blog.