Detailed Information about Dussehra Festival & Its Importance

Dussehra is one of the most important festivals of the Hindus. It is a festival celebrated to commemorate the victory of good over evil and is celebrated with great fanfare and enthusiasm. It falls somewhere in the month of October and is celebrated for about 10 days at a stretch. During this time almost the whole of India erupts in joy and celebration and people forget all their worries and tensions of everyday life and get lost in the atmosphere of festivities. People wear new clothes, cook special delicacies, visit their friends and relatives and live every aspect of their tradition. It is a holiday for most of the people and thus a great way to have some quality family time as well, wherein families and relatives who are busy the whole year with their respective lives gets to meet each other and spend some quality time. Hence it is considered one of the greatest festivals for the Indians.

The history of Dussehra dates back to centuries. It is significant for two different reasons. One it commemorates the killing of Ravana, the ten headed demon king by Lord Rama and secondly it also commemorates the killing of the demon Mahisasura, by Goddess Durga. Both the instances signify the victory of good and evil and spread the message that nothing can supersede good. Hence we are always encouraged to be good and truthful no matter whichever situation we are in. Dussehra is also known as Vijayadashami, the word 'Vijay' meaning victory. During this festival big life size statues of demon king Ravana is set to fire. It is celebrated by almost all the communities and castes belonging to Hinduism. However the diversity of india is so great that each community has its own way of celebrating the festival and it also differs according to the region and location, however the underlying principle of the festival remains same, only the context changes.

Today Dussehra has surpassed the Indian boundaries and become an international festival, thanks to the Indian Diaspora spread all over the world. The Indian community settled and living in foreign countries have made this festival a truly international one. Inspite of being away from the motherland, they celebrate this festival with same grandeur and enthusiasm, presenting to the world the richness and grandeur of Indian culture. Not only the Indians, but the Hindu community living in other parts of the world like the citizens of Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan also celebrate this festival. For Nepal it's a national festival wherein the whole country goes in for celebration, irrespective of class, caste or community. The festival goes on for 10 days, and the final day of the day of Dashami is the most important one. This was the day when the demons were killed. This festival teaches us to be good, no matter whatever the situation is or whatever condition we are in. It teaches us different values and inculcates into us a sense of pride and belonging to our culture and country. It helps us to foster a unified identity.