Dussehra is one of the important festivals for Hindus, celebrated with zeal. Also termed as Vijayadashmi, it is preceded by Navratri, which has religious significance associated with it. As per the legends, Dusshera is the day when Lord Rama killed Ravana and rescued his wife - Sita. Therefore, as a symbol of victory of good over evil, Dusshera holds a special place among the myriad festivals that are celebrated by the Hindus. A number of rituals are observed during the festival. The traditions associated with the celebration of the festival are very interesting to witness. In this article, we have given information on the customs and rituals of Dussehra.
Customs & Traditions Of Dusshera
Ramlila
A number of customs are common for Dussehra, in different parts of India, one of them being Ramlila. The tradition of burning the effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhkarna and son Meghnath on Ramlila is followed since ages, in the northern parts of the country. During the festival, Ramlila is conducted at a huge ground or 'maidan'. It is a fair, witnessed by hundreds of people, every year. Oversized effigies (of Ravana, Meghnath and Kumbhkarna) are constructed a month prior to the festival. They are filled with crackers and erected on the eve of Dussehra, at the Ramlila maidan.
Artists disguised as Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshman and Ravana head towards the maidan, with the procession of people, amidst the bursting of crackers. After arriving at the maidan, a small drama is enacted by the artists, depicting the climax of the war between Lord Rama and Ravana. As the climax approaches, the artist, acting as Rama, shoots an arrow towards the effigy of Ravana, in order to set it on fire. Subsequently, the effigy catches fire and then bursts. This is witnessed by hundreds of people, who rejoice on the 'defeat' of Ravana by Rama.
Visarjan Of Idol
In the eastern parts of the country, particularly in West Bengal, Durga Puja celebrations precede Dusshera. On the tenth day of the Pooja, that is, the day of Vijayadashmi, idol of Goddess Durga is immersed into the nearby river or lake, by the devotees. The devotees bid the farewell to the deity very ceremoniously, amidst a procession that sings Devi Songs and dances to the tune of dholaks (traditional drums). This custom is called 'Visarjan'. In the region, Vijayadashmi is celebrated to commemorate the victory of Ma Durga over Mahishasura, whom she killed.
Vidyarambam
The tenth day or Vijayadashmi is also the day of Vidyarambam (beginning of study) in the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. People in the region worship Goddess Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of Wisdom, on Vijayadashmi. In the morning of the day, after a Puja, the books and implements (such as pen and musical instruments) are removed from the room. Thereafter, literates write a few alphabets on rice or sand and read out a few sentences from sacred books. It is considered auspicious to start learning any art form, such as music and dance, on this day.
The Hindu festival of Dussehra is celebrated with religious observance. The Hindus in India celebrate the festival with great fanfare. The occasion commemorates the victory of good over evil. Therefore, it is considered very auspicious by the Hindus. Since ages, the effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhkarna and son Meghnath are burnt in the northern parts of India, to symbolize the victory of Lord Rama and his army over the three. Another legend says that Goddess Durga assassinated demon Mahishasura and this is the reason why, the day is celebrated as Vijayadashmi in eastern parts of the country.
Dussehra consists of a number of rituals that are followed strictly by people, since ages. It is believed that by performing Dusshera pooja correctly, the Almighty showers blessings on the devotees. While the pooja is performed differently in different regions of India, the purpose of the people remains the same - to seek blessings of their deity and ensure health, wealth and prosperity all through the year. Dussehra puja can be performed by both men and women, provided they are equipped with all the supplies needed and know the correct procedure. Go through the following lines to know more about pooja on Dusshera festival.
Pooja On Dusshera Festival
Since the celebrations of Dusshera are related to the Hindu mythology, hence the puja performed on Dussehra is performed strictly according to the Hindu traditions and culture. While both men and women can perform the puja, people usually call upon a priest to perform the ritual. After providing him with all the materials required, which may include cow dung, limestone, rice, flowers, kheer and other puja items like dhoop, incense sticks, deep etc., the priest starts performing the Dussehra puja. First, he draws the image of any deity, preferably Lord Ganesh, using the cow dung. Two saucers are made out of the wet cow dung, each used for placing the pooja items such as coins, roli, fruit, jhuwara and roli.
The priest chants mantras and performs the pooja by offering flowers and prasad to the deity. Banana, jaggery, rice and radish are generally used to offer as the prasad. When the pooja is over, the priest is offered money (dakshina), while the prasad it offered to the poor. There is a tradition of offering food to the Brahmins of the locality. After attending the Dussehra puja, people start their celebrations of the day. While in north India, they would head towards the nearest Ramlila maidan. In other parts of India, typically in South India, people would indulge in the post Saraswati puja celebrations. In West Bengal, it is the time to take part in Visarjan, the ritual of immersing the idol of Goddess Durga in the nearest water body, such as river or lake.