Dussehra — Dussehra 2024 Dates and Celebrations

Goddess Durga

According to Hindu mythology, at one time the world was tortured by the buffalo demon Mahishasura who even the gods could not defeat. To fight him all the gods combined their energies and created the Goddess Durga.

For nine days, the gruesome battle continued between the pious goddess and the vicious demon. However, on the tenth day, the goddess restrained the beast and finally killed him. This sacred day when Mahishasura was defeated is celebrated as Dussehra.

Lord Rama

Most North Indian states trace the roots of Dussehra to the great Indian epic, the Ramayana. According to the story, Lord Rama was the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu who was born to showcase the virtues of an ideal man.

He faced a 14-year long exile to keep his father's word, accompanied by his devout wife Sita and devoted brother Lakshmana. Lord Rama had to go through various tests during his exile, including when his wife was abducted by the demon King Ravana and taken as a hostage.

With the help of Lakshmana and Lord Hanuman, Lord Rama attacked the demon king and a great battle ensued for ten days. On the tenth day, Rama killed the ten-headed demon Ravana and rescued his wife.

Lord Arjuna

According to the Mahabharata, in the thirteenth year of their exile, the Pandavas, the five sons of King Pandu, had to live in complete concealment in Matsya. Before going to Matsya, they hung their celestial weapons in a Shami tree for safekeeping.

Then, Bhima, the second oldest of the Pandavas, killed the leader of Matsya. Hearing about the death of the commander a prince from a neighboring city wanted to wage a war against the Pandavas and the city of Matsya.

When the period of concealment was over, Lord Arjuna and the other Pandavas returned to the Shami tree to retrieve their weapons. Arjuna first prayed to the tree to thank it for guarding their weapons and then retrieved his bow.

Eager to defend the land that had given him refuge, Arjuna engaged a legion of warriors. During the war, Arjuna proved that he was the best archer in the world.

This incident took place on the same day in which Lord Rama killed Ravana. This is why Dussehra is sometimes called Arjuna's day but is also popularly known as Vijaya Dashami or "Victory after 10 days of fighting".

North India

In northern India, Dasha-Hara, meaning ten days, is celebrated in honor of Dussehra. Thousands of shows and plays based on the Ramlila are performed at outdoor fairs across the region.

Travelers will find many performances taking place in temporary stage grounds featuring large effigies of the demons Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarna, and his son Meghanath.

The effigies of the demons are then burnt on large bonfires at night.

The effigies of the demons are then burnt on large bonfires at night

In many towns and cities in North India, the Ramlila is enacted over the 9 days before Dussehra. In Varanasi, the entire story is freely acted out by performance artists before the public every evening for a month.

The festivities during the holiday include songs, narrations, and recitals based on the Hindu text Ramacharitmanas. The festival and performances are organized by communities in hundreds of small villages and towns attracting a mix of audiences from different social classes, genders, and socio-economic backgrounds.

South India

In Andhra Pradesh, people celebrate Dussehra by setting up Bommala Koluvu, or an arrangement of small statues of characters from mythological stories. On the 10th day of the festival, the celebrations are concluded by immersing the idols of Goddess Durga in nearby rivers or oceans.

Dussehra is known as Dasara, in the city of Mysore which takes this time to honor the Goddess Chamundeswari of Chamundi Hill (another name for the Goddess Durga).

During the celebrations, Mysore Palace is illuminated with almost 100,000 lights in a dazzling show that takes place from 7 pm until 10 pm nightly. The palace's magnificent Golden Throne is also taken out of storage and assembled in the Durbar Hall for public viewing. This is the only time it can be seen throughout the year.

The main event takes place on the last day, where a traditional procession carrying the statue of the goddess is held. The parade's main star is an idol of the Goddess Chamundeshwari, which is worshiped privately by the royal family and then carried atop a lavishly decorated elephant through the streets of Mysore.

In the evening, there is a torch-light parade at the Bannimantap grounds on the outskirts of the city. Here there are plenty of activities including fireworks, motorcycle stunts, and a laser show.

West India

In Gujarat, both the Goddess Durga and Lord Rama are revered for their victory over evil. Fasting and prayers at temples are common practices. On the night of the festival, a regional dance called Dandiya Raas which is performed with colorfully decorated sticks and traditional clothing is performed.

In Maharashtra, the idols of Goddess Durga are installed on the first day of Navaratri and are immersed in nearby rivers or oceans during Dussehra. People will also visit their friends and relatives and exchange sweets during the holiday.

In Goa, this festival is locally known as Dasro in Konkani and is also a celebration of Durga. At many temples, a Tarangas dance using sacred umbrellas that symbolize the village deities is performed.

East India

Dussehra is known as Bijoya Dashami or Durga Puja in East India. The festival's main event is the parades and processions where the clay statues of Durga are carried to rivers or oceans to be returned back to the Earth during a solemn goodbye.

It is an emotional day for some devotees as the congregation sings goodbye songs. Goddess Durga is then immersed and she is believed to return to Mount Kailasha to be with Lord Shiva. People will also give sweets to each other and visit their friends and family during the festival.

Kolkata

Kolkata is the Dussehra capital of India. During this festival, the city hosts more than 3000 pandals or temporary stages set up to usually worship large and elaborate statues of Durga. Here, travelers can go pandal hopping and see the most famous Durga statues in the city.

Besides treating yourself to unique cultural experiences through visiting pandals, you can also treat your taste-buds to many different Bengali snacks. Bengali sweets such as kheer and langcha are our favorites.

Delhi

In Delhi, Ramlila performances happen all over the city from the first day of Navaratri until Dussehra. The performances are concluded with the burning of the demon king Ravana in the evening of Dussehra.

Places like Ramlila Maidan, Red Fort Lawns, and Subhash Maidan are popular spots to watch the shows.

The effigies of the demons are then burnt on large bonfires at night

Kota

In Kota, Rajasthan, the highlight of the Dussehra celebrations is a huge fair that includes cultural performances and draws artisans from far and wide to sell their artwork.

Villagers gather in traditional dress to offer prayers to Lord Rama and to celebrate his victory over Ravana. The celebrations also include a procession from the Royal Palace to the fairground featuring decorated elephants, camels, horses, and folk dancers.

East India

Dussehra is known as Bijoya Dashami or Durga Puja in East India. The festival's main event is the parades and processions where the clay statues of Durga are carried to rivers or oceans fto be returned back to the Earth during a solemn goodbye.

It is an emotional day for some devotees as the congregation sings goodbye songs. Goddess Durga is then immersed and she is believed to return to Mount Kailasha to be with Lord Shiva. People will also give sweets to each other and visit their friends and family during the festival.