Wishing you all a very Happy Dussehra

[Guest guest]

Ram lila [dramatic depiction of episodes from the lives of Ram, Sita and

Lakshman] forms a major part of Dusshera celebrations in North India. The theme

of the celebrations is the victory of Lord Ram over Ravan. The sequence of the

war between both the kings is played by amateur troupes. The celebrations

culminate in burning the effigy of Ravan.

According to the legends, On this day in Satyug, Ram (the eighth incarnation of

Lord Vishnu), killed the great demon and king of Lanka, Ravan, who had abducted

Ram's wife Sita. Ram, along, with his brother Lakshman, follower Hanuman and an

army of monkeys fought a great battle for ten days to rescue his wife Sita.

According to another story, Kautsa, the young son of Devdatt, a Brahmin, was

living in the city of Paithan. After studying under the guidance of Rishi

Varatantu, he insisted on his guru accepting a present or gurudakshina.

Initially the guru refused but later asked for 140 million gold coins, one

hundred million for each of the subjects taught. The obedient student went to

the King Raghu to ask for the money, as the king was renowned for his

generosity. Within three days the king made the God of Wealth Kuber make a rain

of gold coins near the shanu and apati trees. After giving the promised amount

to the guru, Kautsa distributed the rest of the coins among the

needy on the day of Dussehra. Even today, in Ayodhya, the capital of King Raghu,

people loot the leaves of the apati trees and present to each other as 'sona' or

gold. In ancient times kings used the feast of Dussehra to cross the frontier

and fight against their neighboring kingdoms. This border crossing is known as

seema ollanghan and Dussehra marked the beginning of the war season. This was

also the day to worship the weapons. According to legend, Arjuna, one of the

Pandav princes, hid his weapons in a shami tree when the Pandavs were banished

into the forests. After one year he returned from the forest and on the day of

Dussehra, he retrieved his weapons and worshipped them along with the shami

tree. Hence the custom of worshipping weapons on this day started.

However , In India, almost every part of the country has its own specific way of

celebrating this day of victory of good over evil.

Kullu, a small town in Himachal Pradesh, is witness to unique Dussehra

celebrations. Dusshera celebrations here begin three days after they do in the

rest of India. On the first day of the festival, the idol of Raghunathji is

mounted on a splendid rath (chariot) and pulled from its permanent place in the

Dholpur maidan to another part of the meadow. On the second day, a Devta Durbar

(Council of Gods) is held, with Raghunathji presiding. On the last day of the

festival, the chariot of Raghunathji is drawn amidst fanfare to the banks of

the river Beas. Here a pile of wood and grass is set on fire to symbolize the

burning of Lanka and five animals-a crab, a cock, a fish, a buffalo and a male

goat are sacrificed. The people then immerse themselves in revelry. Lugri, the

traditional Kullu drink, flows by the gallon.

Dusshera celebrations in eastern India are marked as Durga Puja. Pandals are set

up in every nook and corner of the state with giant size statues of Durga.

Dances and dramas are enacted, while durga bhajans are chanted for the first

nine days. The statues of Durga are then immersed in a nearby water source.

This ceremony is called Visarjan.

Dusshera celebrations in Gujarat are conducted on a grand scale. The major

attraction of the celebrations is the Garba raas or dandiya played by young and

old alike with comparable enthusiasm. Men and women, boys and girls dress up in

traditional Gujarati attires to take part in the dance.

Dusshera is clebrated as Navratri in south India. The three main Hindu

goddesses, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Parvati are worshipped for three days each in

Tamil Nadu. Each of the goddess is worshipped in all the forms they’ve taken to

save mankind from evil. In Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, families

decorate dolls (Bommai Kolu) and prepare an elaborate spread of lamps and

flowers. Vijayadasami is also considered an auspicious occasion for children to

commence their education in classical dance and music, and to pay homage to

their teachers.

In Mysore, however, Dusshera is celebrated with much pomp. The procession of

elephants during the Dassera celebrations is a highlight and draws tourists

from all over the country.Devotees wear new clothes and celebrate with music,

dance and drama.

But regardless of the different ways of celebrating this festival ,Dussehra is

a sacred day for all of us..

May this festival bring lots of joy and peace in to our lives and goodness in to

our hearts and deeds..

With all the good wishes for a Happy Dussehra,

Deepa H

debu7366

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