Dussehra Facts: Cultural Significance, Rituals and Celebrations Across India

Posted On October 6, 2024

Dussehra, also called Vijayadashami, falls on the 10th and concluding day of Navratri, and is the most significant day of this festivity. It is also one of the most important festivals in Indian culture and is celebrated with great enthusiasm in many parts of the country.

Dussehra symbolizes the victory of good over evil, justice over injustice, and truth over falsehood. The spiritual message of Dussehra is that goodness always wins, or that ultimately the wrong is punished and only the truth prevails. Here is more about the significance of Dussehra.

Cultural Importance of Dussehra

Dussehra falls on the 10th day of the month of Ashvin, which is around September or October every year.
It is believed that the battle between Durga Devi and buffalo-demon Mahishasura went on for 9 nights and Goddess Durga emerged victorious on the 10th day, which is celebrated as Vijayadashami or Dussehra, which aptly represents the triumph of good over evil.
Dussehra also marks the day when Lord Rama defeated King Ravana, who had abducted his wife Sita. Rama’s victory over Ravana represents the restoration of dharma, and thus again symbolizes the victory of good over evil.
As per Mahabharata, Dussehra is also the day when Pandavas defeated the Kauravas. It is said that the Pandavas worshipped their weapons on the 9th day, which is called Ayudh Puja and won the war against Kauravas on the 10th day, Dussehra.

Dussehra Celebrations across India

In southern, eastern, north-eastern and some parts of North India, Dussehra is the concluding day of Durga Puja and marks the victory of Goddess Durga against Mahishasura, while in the northern, central and western parts of India, Dussehra is celebrated to mark Lord Rama’s victory over Ravana.
In North India, Ram Lila, a theatrical enactment of Rama’s life story is performed. Effigies of Ravana are stuffed with firecrackers and burnt down, to symbolize the defeat of Ravana, which in turn represents the destruction of evil.
Mysuru’s Dasara is a grand cultural celebration, deeply rooted in mythology and royal traditions. The city is associated with the legend of Mahishasura, the demon vanquished by Goddess Durga after a fierce 9-day battle, with the final victory celebrated as Vijayadashami. Highlights include the grand “Jumbo Savari” procession, where Goddess Chamundeshwari’s idol is carried on an adorned elephant. The festivities, organized by the Karnataka government and the Mysore royal family, draw thousands of visitors, making it a significant state festival (Nadahabba).
In South India, there are processions that include carrying clay statues of Goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya, to a river or ocean and immersing their idols in water.
Sweets are prepared and savored with family and friends, on the occasion of Vijayadashami. People visit each other or get together and wish each other success, happiness and prosperity.
Dussehra is considered an auspicious time for new purchases or to start new ventures. So, for starting a new business or job, buying a house or vehicle, moving into a new house, or buying anything valuable, many people prefer the day of Dussehra.
Dussehra is considered as the day to start the preparations for Diwali, which is another very important Hindu festival that falls 20 days after Dussehra.

Vijayadashami Traditions and Rituals

Goddess Saraswati, one of the 9 forms of Durga, who is worshipped as the Goddess of knowledge, learning, arts and languages, is worshipped on the occasion of Dussehra. Saraswati Puja or Pati puja is a tradition prominently followed in the Indian state of Maharashtra where people, especially students, worship the slate with an image of Saraswati drawn on it. The slate is considered as a symbol of knowledge and education. Books and other educational tools may also be worshipped on Dussehra.
As Vijayadashami, as per the epic Mahabharata, marks the day when the Pandavas recovered their weapons which they had placed in a Shami tree, an important Dussehra tradition is the exchange of Shami leaves and they are believed to symbolize goodwill.
Since Mahabharata says that the Pandavas had placed their weapons in a Shami tree, it is also a tradition to worship weapons (which in today’s times are taken as tools and appliances that help in daily living) on Dussehra. This is known as Ayudh Puja and is performed on Dussehra or on the previous day.
Some Indians mix rice, yogurt and vermilion to apply tika on the forehead of family members. This Dussehra ritual is performed to seek the blessings of Goddess Durga and pray for happiness and prosperity.

In some households, there is a tradition to keep Navratri Kalash in which barley seeds are sown on the first day. They are plucked on Dussehra and exchanged as a symbol of good luck and prosperity.
Among the other Dussehra traditions is Sindoor Khela in which only women take part and they apply vermilion on Durga’s idol and on each other’s forehead to pray for a happy married life.
In Bengal, idols of Goddess Durga are immersed in water. People bid her farewell and pray to her, asking her to bless them and protect them from evil throughout the year.
Aparajita Puja is another Vijayadashami ritual. In this puja, Goddess Aparajita is worshipped, to achieve victory, as it is believed that Lord Rama worshipped her before going to the battlefield to kill Ravana.
It is a tradition to worship the Shami tree on Dussehra. Legend has it that Lord Rama prayed for his victory in front of a Shami tree, before going to Lanka. As stated earlier, Pandavas are said to have hidden their weapons in a Shami tree for a year, and they worshipped the tree for keeping them safe. There’s another story according to which, Kauts asked for 14 crores gold coins to King Raghu, who, due to insufficiency of wealth, waged a war against Kuber, and he showered gold coins from a Shami tree. Thereafter, the Shami tree began to be worshipped and considered a symbol of prosperity. Shami tree puja is believed to give protection from the negative effects of Shani.
Seema Avalanghan, considered an important Vijayadashami ritual, means crossing the border which is symbolic of an effort to broaden one’s horizon and achieve growth.

The spiritual meaning of Dussehra is that evil, falsehood and injustice are defeated; and the good, truth and justice always triumph. Dussehra derives its name from ‘dasha’ meaning ten and ‘hara’ meaning defeat. Vijayadashami, as it is also called, literally means ‘dashami’ (10th day) of ‘vijaya’ (victory).

With two popular legends linked with this festival, one about Lord Rama’s victory over Ravana and the other about the victory of Goddess Durga over demon Mahishasura, Dussehra goes on to say that the positive always conquers the negative and emerges victorious. Thus, Dussehra is a day to celebrate and greet all that is good in our lives and infuse ourselves with positivity so that we may be able to build our shakti (inner strength) and win over the demons within.

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