Dussehra

Practice

Dussehra celebrates Rama's victory over Ravana. The festival is spread out over ten days. The story of Ram's life is enacted in a folk art form called Ramlila. Every nook and corner has its own Ramlila, so that, apart from professionals, millions of amateur actors take to the stage during Dusserhra and act out the Ramayana in ten days, each day's instalment lasting a few hours.

The highlight of the tenth day is the burning of the effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarna and his son Indrajit. The bigger the effigy, the grander the performance. It is customary to fill the effigies with firecrackers so that the message that good triumphs over evil is heard loud and clear. Dussehra coincides with Durga Puja, which is a ten-day worship of Goddess Durga. In different parts of the country, different goddesses are worshipped during this period.

In Tamil Nadu, Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and prosperity, Saraswati, Goddess of learning and arts and Shakti (Durga) are worshipped. Here, as in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, families arrange dolls (Bommai Kolu) on specially built steps and prepare an elaborate spread of lamps and flowers.

After the Saraswati pooja on the ninth day, the whole set up is taken down on Vijayadashmi. In Kerala, books are kept for worship for three days during which period children are forbidden to read. Vijayadashami is an auspicious occasion for children to commence their education in classical dance and music, and to pay homage to their teachers.

Time: Dussehra also known as Vijayadashmi, is celebrated on the tenth day, which follows nine days of Durga Pooja, some time in September / October

· Place: Most states of India.