| Vijayadashami | |
|---|---|
 Vijayadashami reveres Durga's and Rama's victory over evil depending on the region.[1] | |
| Also called | Dashāhra, Dashain, Dassahra |
| Observed by | Hindus |
| Type | Religious, Cultural |
| Significance | Celebrates the victory of good over evil |
| Celebrations | Marks the end ofDurga Puja andNavaratri |
| Observances | |
| Date | Ashvin Shukla Dashami |
| 2024 date | 12 October[2] |
Hindu festival dates TheHindu calendar is lunisolar but most festival dates are specified using the lunar portion of the calendar. A lunar day is uniquely identified by three calendar elements:māsa (lunar month),pakṣa (lunar fortnight) andtithi (lunar day). Furthermore, when specifying the masa, one of two traditions are applicable, viz.amānta /pūrṇimānta. If a festival falls in the waning phase of the moon, these two traditions identify the same lunar day as falling in two different (but successive) masa. A lunar year is shorter than a solar year by about eleven days. As a result, most Hindu festivals occur on different days in successive years on the Gregorian calendar. | |
Vijayadashami (Sanskrit:विजयादशमी,romanized: Vijayadaśamī), more commonly known asDassahra in Hindi-Urdu,[a] and also known asDashāhra orDashain in Bhojpuri, Maithili and Nepali, is a majorHindu festival celebrated every year at the end ofDurga Puja andNavarahtri. It is observed on the tenth day of the month ofAshvin, the seventh in theHindu lunisolar calendar.[6][7][8] The festival typically falls in the Gregorian calendar months of September and October, more specifically between 27 September and 26 October. It is celebrated on the tenth day of the waxing moon (Shukla Paksha) of the Ashvayuja month.
Vijayadashami is observed for different reasons and celebrated differently in various parts of India and Nepal.[1][9][6] In the southern, eastern, northeastern, and some northern states ofIndia, Vijayadashami marks the end of Durga Puja, commemorating goddessDurga's victory againstMahishasura to restore and protectdharma.[6][10][11] In the northern, central, and western states, it marks the end ofRamlila and commemorates the deityRama's victory overRavana.[12] Alternatively, it marks a reverence for one of the aspects of Durga.[1][7][8]
Vijayadashami celebrations include processions to a river or ocean front that involve carrying clay statues of Durga,[13]Lakshmi, Saraswati,Ganesha, andKartikeya, accompanied by music and chants, after which the images are immersed in the water for dissolution and farewell. In other places, towering effigies of Ravana, symbolising evil, are burnt with fireworks, marking evil's destruction. The festival also starts the preparations forDiwali, the important festival of lights, which is celebrated twenty days after Vijayadashami.[14][15][1]
Vijayādaśamī (विजयादशमी) is a compound of the two wordsvijaya (विजय, 'victory')[16] anddaśamī (दशमी, 'tenth day'),[17] connoting the festival on the tenth day celebrating the victory of good over evil.[1][9][18] The same Hindu festival-related term, however, takes different forms in different regions of India andNepal, as well as among Hindu minorities found elsewhere.[19]
The worddussehra is theBritish English spelling of thetadbhavaDassehrā. It is deriveddaśaharā (दशहरा), which is a Sanskrit compound word composed ofdaśama (दशम, 'tenth') andahar (अहर्, 'day').[20][21][22]
The celebration of this festival is founded in the epicRamayana. It marks the day Rama is regarded to have slain therakshasa kingRavana, who had abducted Rama's wife, Sita.[23] Ravana kidnapsSita and takes her to his kingdom inLanka (identified with present daySri Lanka).Rama asks Ravana to release her, but Ravana refuses; the situation escalates and leads to war. Prior to this, Ravana performed severe penance for ten thousand years and received a boon from the creator-godBrahma that he could henceforth not be killed by gods, demons, or spirits. However, Rama (a human incarnation ofVishnu) defeats and kills him, thus circumventing the boon given by Brahma.[24] A battle takes place between Rama and Ravana, in which Rama kills Ravana and ends his evil rule. As a result,dharma was established on Earth because of Rama's victory over Ravana.[25] The festival commemorates the victory of good over evil.[26]
In theMahabharata, Vijayadashami also marks the day that the Pandava warriorArjuna defeats theKauravas.[27] The epic tells the story of thePandava brothers who are known to have spent their thirteenth year of exile under concealed identity in Matsya, the kingdom ofVirata. Before going to Virata, they are known to have hung their celestial weapons in ashami tree for safekeeping for a year.[28] It was during this time that Kauravas decided to attack the kingdom in which Arjuna retrieved the weapons from the Shami tree and defeated the entire Kaurava army.[29][27]
In most ofNorthern India, Vijayadashami is celebrated in honour of LordRama. In many places, theRamlila, a dramatic performance on story of Rama is enacted over the 9 days leading up to the festival. The performance is inspired from the Ramcharitmanas, a Hindu text written byTulsidas.[30] Effigies of the demons Ravana,Kumbhakarna andMeghnath are also created and burnt on bonfires in the evening.[8] In other cities, such asVaranasi, the entire story is freely acted out by performance-artists before the public every evening for a month.[22]
The performance arts tradition during the Dussehra festival was inscribed byUNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) as one of the "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" in 2008.[31] It is celebrated across Northern India for Dussehra, but particularly in historically important Hindu cities ofAyodhya,Varanasi,Vrindavan,Almora,Satna andMadhubani.[31] The festival and dramatic enactment of the virtues versus vices filled story is organised by communities in hundreds of small villages and towns, attracting a mix of audiences from different social, gender and economic backgrounds. In many parts of India, the audience and villagers join in and participate spontaneously, helping the artists, others helping with stage setup, make-up, effigies, and lights.[31] These arts come to a close on the night of Dussehra, when the victory of Rama is celebrated by burning the effigies of the evil Ravana and his allies.[19]
Kullu Dussehra is celebrated in theKullu valley ofHimachal Pradesh and is regionally notable for its large fair and parade witnessed by an estimated half a million people. The festival is a symbol of victory of good over evil byRaghunath, and is celebrated like elsewhere in the Indian subcontinent with a procession.[32] The special feature of the Kullu Dussehra procession is the arrival of floats containing deities from different parts of the nearby regions and their journey toKullu.[26]
Vijayadashami is celebrated in a variety of ways inSouthern India.[33] Celebrations range from worshipping Durga, lighting up temples and major forts such as at Mysore, to displaying colourful figurines, known as agombe habba.[citation needed]
The festival played a historical role in the 14th-centuryVijayanagara Empire, where it was calledMahanavami. The Italian travellerNiccolò de' Conti described the festival's intensity and importance as a grandeur religious and martial event with royal support. The event revered Durga as the warrior goddess (some texts refer to her as Chamundeshwari). The celebrations hosted athletic competitions, singing and dancing, fireworks, a pageantry military parade and charitable giving to the public.[34][35] Portuguese travellers likeDomingo Paes andFernao Nuniz who visited Vijayanagara Empire in the 16th century described the Dasara elephant procession and the Vajra Mushti Kalaga wrestling bouts.[36]
The city ofMysore has traditionally been a major center of Dasara-Vijayadashami celebrations.[34]
This festival is called Dasara in Karnataka and the 10 day festival is celebrated as Shara navaratri where the Goddess in every temple is worshiped for 10 days in 10 forms with different Alankar/forms to signify different Goddesses avatar.[citation needed] Many cultural programs and competitions are organized in many cities likeMysuru,Shivamoga,Bengaluru etc. On the evening of the last day of the ten-festival, the temple's Goddesses are taken in a procession to mark victory over evil and the completion of the war. People of Karnataka exchange leaves ofShami tree as symbol of gold on 10th day evening marking the win over demon.Another Navaratri tradition in Karnataka has been decorating a part of one's home with art dolls called Gombe or Bombe, similar to Golu dolls of Tamil Nadu. An art-themed Gaarudi Gombe, featuring folk dances that incorporate these dolls, is also a part of the celebration.
Another significant and notable tradition of several Southern Indian regions has been the dedication of this festival toSaraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, learning, music and arts. She is worshipped along with instruments of one's trade during this festival. In Southern India, people maintain, clean and worship their instruments, tools of work and implements of their livelihood during this festival, remembering GoddessSaraswati andDurga.[19]
InKerala,Vidyarambham festival is celebrated on Vijaya Dasami day. It is also known asSaraswati Puja Day. Major temple associated with Vidyarambham areCherpu Thiruvullakkavu Temple Thrissur andPanachikkad Temple. A guru draws Om Hari Sree Ganapathaye Namah on the tongue of a child using a ring dipped in honey.Child is guided to write Hari Sree mantra on rice kept inUruli. Children aged 3–4 who are new to school are admitted to school and Anganawadi on Vijayadashami Day.[37]
_Vijaya_Dashami_The_art_work_India_October_2013.jpg)
InGujarat, people engage the popular festival,Navaratri, a nine-day festival that takes places before Vijayadashami. Both the goddess Durga and Rama are revered for their victory over evil. Fasting and prayers at temples are common. A regional dance calledDandiya Raas, that deploys colourfully decorated sticks, andgarba, (another type of regional dance) is a part of the festivities through the night.[38]
TheGondi people instead celebrate Ravana by carrying an image of him riding an elephant and singing praises to him, as they consider Ravana as their ancestor and one of their gods.[39][40]In Goa, this festival is locally known asDasro inKonkani. It marks Durga's victory over the demonMahishasura. Insignia known asTaranga play an important role in the festivities, which are sacred umbrellas that symbolize the village deities. At many temples, a dance of the Tarangas is held.Oracles are associated with Dasara inGoa. On this day, a ritual calledSeemollanghan of the deities is held. For this people make a symbolic crossing of the border of their village. The icons of deities are carried in a grand procession. The tradition traces its roots to ancient times when kings would cross the border of their kingdom to wage war with the neighbouring kingdom. After Seemollanghan, there is a tradition wherein people exchangeAaptyachi pana. These leave symbolise gold and the ritual is a symbolic representation of the exchange of gold.[41]
The festival is also celebrated as a harvest festival by farmers and has an important association with Agricultural activities. At Dussehra,Kharif crops like rice, guar, cotton, soybean, maize, finger millet, pulses are generally ready for harvest, farmers begin their harvest on the day. Farmers bring crops like Kharif crops from their fields for further processing and for trade. Due to this, daily arrivals of these crops in markets of the country normally increases significantly during this period.[42]
The festival has been historically important in Maharashtra. Maratha forces in 17th and 18th centuries including those ofShivaji and the Peshwas would start their new military campaigns on Dasara.[43][44][45] InNorth Maharashtra this festival is known asDasara, and on this day people wear new clothes, and touch feet of elderly people and deities of the village temple.[46] The deities installed on the first day of Navaratri are immersed in water. Observers visit each other and exchange sweets.[47] Many communities in Maharashtra including the tribal communities of warli and Kokna exchange leaves ofApta tree as symbol of gold.[48]
InMewar region ofRajasthan, both Durga and Rama have been celebrated on Vijayadashami, and it has been a major festival for Rajput warriors.[34]
InWest Bengal Vijaya Dashami is observed as Bijoya Dashomi, immediately after Navami (the ninth and last day ofDurga Puja). It is marked by processions in which idols are carried in carriages to a pond, river or ocean for a solemn good-bye to Goddess Durga, along with firecracker bursting, dance, drum beats, music and revelry. Many mark their faces with vermilion (sindoor) or wear red clothing. It is an emotional day for some devotees, especially the Bengali Hindus, and even for many atheists as the congregation sings goodbye songs.[49][50] When the procession reaches the water, the clay statues of Durga and her four children are immersed; the clay dissolves and they are believed to return toMount Kailasha with Shiva, and to the cosmos in general. People distribute sweets and gifts and visit friends, relatives and family members to wish them "Subho Vijaya".[51] Some communities such as those near Varanasi mark the eleventh day, calledekadashi, by visiting a Durga temple.[52]
In Bihar Dushehra is celebrated over a period of 10 days. The people worship goddess durga and they setup idols in different places. On the 10th day that is Vijaya Dashmi effigy of Ravana is burnt. In Patna the capital of Bihar, people gather in historicalGandhi Maidan and a huge effigy of Ravan is burnt.[53]
In Nepal, Vijayadashami follows the festival ofDashain. Youngsters visit the elders in their family, distant ones come to their native homes, students visit their school teachers, and government workers visit thehead of the state. The elders and teachers welcome the youngsters and bless them for virtuous success and prosperity in the year ahead.[54][55] Elders give "Dakshina", or a small amount of money, to younger relatives at this time along with the blessings. It is celebrated for 15 days from Shukla Paksha to Poornima. The red tika or simply tika symbolizes the blessings of goddess durga. Red also symbolizes the blood that ties the family together
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