Vijayadashami

Vijayadashami, more commonly known as Dasara in Marathi and Kannada, Dassahra in Hindi, and also known as Dashāhra or Dashain in Bhojpuri, Maithili and Nepali, is a major Hindu festival celebrated every year at the end of Durga Puja and Navaratri. It is observed on the tenth day of the waxing moon (Shukla Paksha) in the month of Ashvin, the seventh in the Hindu lunisolar calendar, and falls in the Gregorian calendar months of September and October.

Vijayadashami is observed for different reasons and celebrated differently in various parts of India and Nepal. In the southern, eastern, northeastern, and some northern states of India, Vijayadashami marks the end of Durga Puja, commemorating goddess Durga‘s victory against Mahishasura to restore and protect dharma. In the northern, central, and western states, it marks the end of Ramlila and commemorates the deity Rama‘s victory over Ravana. Alternatively, it marks a reverence for one of the aspects of Durga.

History shows this day goes back to Ashoka Vijayadashami. After the Kalinga war, Emperor Ashoka initiated the ‘Dhamma Journey’ on this very date, replacing hunting tours with public outreach to spread the message of peace. His Rock Edicts in Girnar mentions it. Travelers like Fa-Hien (399 CE) recorded this grand Buddhist festival celebrated across India with Ratha Yatra processions.This is the glorious day chosen by Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in 1956 for the mass conversion (Dhamma Deeksha) of nearly 600,000 followers, breaking the chains of Caste system in India.

Vijayadashami celebrations include processions to a river or ocean front that involve carrying clay statues of Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha, and Kartikeya, 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 marks the start of preparations for Deepavali, the important festival of lights, which is celebrated twenty days after Vijayadashami.

In Eastern and Southern parts of India, Dussehra concludes the nine-day Durga Puja festival, marking Goddess Durga’s defeat of the buffalo demon Mahishasura. 

• Divine feminine power: This legend celebrates the ultimate triumph of the divine feminine power (Shakti) over arrogant evil.
• Immersion of idols: On Vijayadashami, elaborately decorated clay idols of Goddess Durga and her children are immersed in a river or other body of water, symbolizing her return to her celestial home.
• Regional variations: In South India, particularly Mysuru, the festival celebrates Goddess Chamundeshwari’s victory over Mahishasura with grand processions. 

Broader significance and traditionsBeyond these two main legends, Dussehra carries deeper spiritual, cultural, and seasonal meaning. 

• Triumph of inner goodness: The festival is a powerful reminder that goodness will always triumph over evil, no matter how strong evil may appear. This includes overcoming one’s own inner demons and negative tendencies.
• Auspicious new beginnings: It is considered an auspicious time to start new ventures, make important decisions, or initiate learning (a ceremony called Vidyarambham in some regions).
• Honoring tools and knowledge: In parts of South India, Ayudha Puja is performed, where tools, vehicles, and instruments are worshipped, honoring them for their role in our lives.
• Seasonal change: It marks the end of the monsoon and the beginning of the winter season, and historically, it was a time for harvesting new crops.