It’s finally that time of the year when festivals are lined up in the queue. The excitement is at its peak! Festivals play an important role in India, people eagerly wait to celebrate them with family and friends. Dusshera is one such festival celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm and zeal. Call it by any name, Vijaya Dashami, Dashain or Dusshera the essence of this festival remains the same.
Dusshera traces its roots to Hindu epics and mythology. The name is derived from the Sanskrit words “dasha” meaning ten and “hara” meaning defeat. It symbolises victory over evil. This festival is celebrated on the 10th day of Navaratri where people (in the Northern regions) celebrate the victory of Lord Rama who killed the 10-headed demon king Ravana who took hostage of his wife Sita.
People also celebrate this festival (in the eastern and southern regions) as the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura. It is believed that the battle between Goddess Durga and Mahishasura lasted for nine days and on the tenth day Goddess Durga slayed the demon. It also marks the culmination of the Navaratri and Durga Puja festivals.
Different states celebrate Dusshera in their own glorious ways. In the Northern parts, it is generally celebrated by burning the effigy of Ravana while in the eastern parts the deities are taken out in huge processions. Let’s find out the unique ways of celebrating this auspicious festival:
West Bengal celebrates Vijayadashami. It is the last day of Durga Puja where married women offer sindoor, sweets and betel leaves to Goddess Durga. People let go of all the evilness within them and greet one another with a lot of love and respect. Finally, the idols are immersed with the hope that next year again Goddess Durga will come and celebrate this festival with her devotees.
In North, performances of Ramlila are hosted where people play the chronicled story of Lord Ram and his victory over the evil king of Lanka, Ravana. The performances end with the effigies of Ravana and with the hope that all the evil that prevails within us should now come to an end. People hug and greet one another with a massive amount of love and respect. They also exchange sweets and delicacies prepared at home.
In the Southern parts of India, this is a festival dedicated to worshipping three Goddesses – Lakshmi, Saraswati and Durga. People pray for wealth and prosperity to Goddess Laksmi, for knowledge and learning to Goddess Saraswati and for power and strength to Goddess Durga.
No matter how we celebrate this auspicious festival the essence is to cherish victory over evil. All festivals in India are celebrated to convey the message of benevolence, peace and love.
People mark this day as an auspicious day for new beginnings. They prefer buying new vehicles, starting new projects and seek for forgiveness. No matter how one celebrates this, the motive remains the same.
This Dusshera lets all get away with the Ravana within us. Ravana was an evil man, he was filled with all negativity and thought himself to be the most powerful of all. Each one of us has a little Ravana with us. Feelings of anger, negativity, lust, laziness, greed, envy, delusion, selfishness and jealousy are what made Ravana do this mischievous deed. Each one of us must have come across such feelings in life. Some of us are able to overcome them while others fail to do so. This Dusshera, let’s all try to be a better person and get away with all such negative thoughts.
This year the celebrations are supposed to be grand. Thankfully, Covid is nowhere around (fingers crossed) people have started to get back to the old normal where gatherings and celebrations were a thing. After years of restriction and preventive measures, this year people all around the world are excited to make the most of all the festivals. There is a new zeal among each one of us. We hope this remains forever and the world can live freely like before.
This festival marks the celebration of good over evil. It is believed that no matter how potent the antagonist is, his defeat is certain. These days we have started celebrating these festivals with a lot of twists and turns. People now gather together and cook delicious food and wear new clothes. They cook new delicacies at home and share them with their near and dear ones. While, if you too are looking for exclusive gifting options or want to prepare some sizzling recipes then you can now find everything available at Milkbasket. Our Dusshera store has fresh fruits, pooja essentials, flowers, vegetables, snacks and more that can be delivered to your doorstep at 7 AM. That’s not all, we have curated exclusive deals for each one of you. So, what are you waiting for? Grab these deals before they are gone.
Happy Dusshera To Each One Of You!
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