Introduction to Dussehra Festival:
The Dussehra Festival is the first big festival of the season and is held with huge celebrations in the capital city of Delhi in India. The Dussehra Festival generates the feeling of good times among the people. During this festive season, an ethereal scintillating excitement begins to charge the Indian air.
Description of Dussehra Festival:
The Festival of Dussehra in Delhi is an immensely popular festival. An interesting collection of mythic legends and regional tales are embroidered around Dussehra. On this sacred day of Dussehra, Lord Rama, the hero and the God king of the great Hindu epic, Ramayana, killed the sinful Ravana, the ten-headed demon king of Lanka. The demon king, Ravana, kidnapped Lord Rama’s wife, Sita. Lord Rama prayed to Devi Durga, the Goddess of War, constantly for the first 9 days of the battle and killed the demon king on the 10th day.
According to another legend, which is associated to the Delhi Dussehra Festival, is that of Goddess Durga killing the buffalo demon, Mahishasura. The ancient and popular mythoi say that the gods were forced to grant unconquerable powers to Mahishasura for his unequaled meditation. But, the buffalo-demon, Mahishasura misutilised his extraordinary powers to a great extent. Then the enraged gods created Devi Durga, who is believed to be more powerful than the powers of all the gods put together.
The Delhi Dussehra Festival is celebrated with the story of the battle between Lord Rama and the Demon King Ravana being enacted by people. After the show of Ram Lila, the image of Ravana is burnt. This is a very important part of the celebration of the Dussehra Festival.
In the state of West Bengal, the Dussehra Festival is known as the Durga Puja, which is the single most important festival of the Bengalis.
Time of Celebration of Dussehra Festival:
The Festival of Dussehra in Delhi is celebrated during the month of September. Dussehra falls on the 10th day of the fulling moon during the Hindu month of Ashvin, which is around the months of September and October.