Dussehra: The Day Good Wins, Celebrated in Many Voices
Written by the Cosmosentials Team
Dussehra arrives on Tuesday, October 20, closing the nine nights of Navratri with a tenth day of victory. Also called Vijayadashami, it is one of the few festivals celebrated almost everywhere in India, and also one of the most varied. In one city, it means an effigy of Ravana going up in flames before a cheering crowd. In another, it is a royal procession with an elephant carrying the Goddess. In a third, it is a child writing her very first letters. At Cosmosentials, we wanted to look at the story behind the day and at the different ways India marks it.
What Dussehra means
The word Dussehra comes from Sanskrit, with "dasha" meaning ten and "hara" meaning defeat, which is often understood as the defeat of the ten-headed Ravana. Vijayadashami means "the tenth day of victory." Both names point to the same idea: that truth and righteousness, however tested, win in the end.
The story of Rama and Ravana
In the Ramayana, Ravana, the learned and powerful king of Lanka, abducts Sita, the wife of Lord Rama, during Rama's exile. With the help of Hanuman, Lakshmana, and an army of vanaras, Rama travels to Lanka and fights Ravana in a long war. On the tenth day, Rama defeats Ravana, and Sita is freed.
Ravana's ten heads are traditionally read as a symbol of ten human weaknesses, such as pride, anger, greed, and envy. This is why burning his effigy is not meant only as a celebration of an old victory. It is also a reminder to look for the same flaws in ourselves.
The other story: Durga and Mahishasura
In eastern and southern India especially, Vijayadashami is closely linked to Goddess Durga's victory over the buffalo demon Mahishasura, after nine nights of battle. This is the reason the festival follows Navratri so directly, and the reason the same day can mean two different victories in two different parts of the country.
How India celebrates Dussehra
Ramlila and Ravan Dahan (North India). In the weeks leading up to Dussehra, neighbourhoods stage Ramlila, dramatic retellings of the Ramayana. On Dussehra evening, large effigies of Ravana, and often his brother Kumbhakarna and son Meghnad, are set alight in open grounds while crowds watch. Many cities in recent years have moved toward eco-friendly effigies made of paper and bamboo, with fewer crackers packed inside.
Mysuru Dasara (Karnataka). The city of Mysuru hosts one of the grandest Dussehra celebrations in the country, a ten-day festival with a long royal tradition. It reaches its peak on Vijayadashami, when a grand procession carries an image of Goddess Chamundeshwari through the city while the Mysore Palace glows with lights.
Kullu Dussehra (Himachal Pradesh). In the Kullu valley, Dussehra begins on Vijayadashami and carries on for about a week. Local deities from villages across the region are carried to Kullu in colourful processions, which makes it as much a gathering of communities as a religious festival.
Bastar Dussehra (Chhattisgarh). In Bastar, the festival lasts for around seventy-five days and is centred on the local goddess Danteshwari rather than on Ravana. It is one of the longest festivals in the world, and a reminder of how many different traditions sit under the one name.
Bijoya Dashami (West Bengal and eastern India). In Bengal, Vijayadashami is the day Durga Puja ends. Durga idols are immersed in rivers and ponds, married women play Sindoor Khela, applying vermilion on one another, and people visit friends and relatives to exchange sweets, greetings, and blessings from elders. It is joyful and emotional at the same time, as people say goodbye to the Goddess.
Maharashtra and parts of Karnataka. People exchange leaves of the apta tree, offering them to one another as a symbol of gold and goodwill, along with the greeting "sone ghya, sonyasarkha raha," meaning "take the gold and stay as precious as gold."
Vidyarambham (Kerala). Vijayadashami is considered a particularly auspicious day to begin learning. Young children are introduced to the written word, often by tracing their first letters in rice or sand, guided by a parent or teacher.
A day for new beginnings
Across many regions, Dussehra is also seen as an auspicious day to start something new. People begin new ventures, buy vehicles or tools, or start a new course of study, because the day is believed to bring success to whatever is started on it. Many also use the day to worship the tools of their trade or their weapons, in a tradition known as Shastra Puja or Ayudha Puja.
What the day asks of us
Dussehra is often described as a festival of victory, but its quieter lesson is about effort. Rama's victory came after years of exile, a long journey, and a hard war. The Goddess's victory came after nine nights of battle. In both stories, good does not win in a moment. It wins through patience, courage, and staying the course.
That is a good thing to carry into the rest of the year, whether you are watching an effigy burn, joining a procession, or simply sitting down to a family meal.
Whichever way you celebrate, we wish you and your family a joyful and meaningful Dussehra.
Happy Dussehra from all of us at Cosmosentials.
