13 October 2024
All States Regional holiday | Sunday |
Vijaya Dashami is the tenth day of Durga Puja celebrations. Vijaya Dashami is one of the important days of Durga Puja. Durga Puja is a Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates the worship of the goddess Durga. Durga Puja celebrates the ten-armed mother goddess and her victory over the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura.
The world was under threat from the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura, that no man or god could defeat. To vanquish the demon, Durga emerged from the collective energies of all the gods. Each of her ten arms brandished the deadliest weapon of each god. Also known as Dashain or Tenth day of Navratri or Durgotsav, Vijaya Dashami commemorates the day that Durga appeared riding a lion to slay the Mahisasura. Statutes of Durga are paraded through the streets, then immersed in water.
It is known as Dasara or Dushhera in some regions. In India, the festival of Dussehra symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. The festival traditionally represents the legend of Rama and Ravana. Ravana, the demon king, abducted the beloved Princess of India, Sita.
Lord Rama rescued the Princess, proving victorious over the powerful and evil King Ravana. The Dussehra festival is ten days long, culminating on the tenth day, the Dussehra holiday. On the day of Dussehra, large statues of Ravana are constructed and brought into open fields. These effigies are burned and with them the evil they representso that the people are allowed to follow the path of virtue and goodness throughout the year.