Dasara and number 10

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Dasara and number 10

 

Lokkur Vasanthi Rao

 

The number 10 has many meanings - it denotes wholeness, oneness, the

ultimate principle among other things. Ten is also a representation

of the installation of the kalasha and ten is the number of days for

which the festival called Dasara is celebrated.

 

 

The number 10 has many meanings - it denotes wholeness, oneness, the

ultimate principle among other things. Ten is also a representation

of the installation of the kalasha and ten is the number of days for

which the festival called Dasara is celebrated.

 

Though the main puja days are towards the latter half of the 10-day

festivities, for many homes in Karnataka the celebrations begin the

first day itself. Two lamps are lit, representing perhaps the phases

of the moon and the flame signifying the waxing moon.

 

These two lamps [usually, large ones] should not be extinguished for

all of the ten days and nights of the festival. In some homes, the

kalasha contains nine kinds of grain, while those who can afford it,

place rice and gold coins. These days, however, coins of any

denomination are placed besides the traditional coconut and betel

leaves.

 

 

 

Today, Dasara is synonymous with celebrations at Mysore. During the

time of the Vijayanagar empire Dasara was celebrated on a grand scale

at Hampi with festivities lasting for several days. The emperor

Krishnadevaraya had a niche place from where he watched the

procession. Lord Rama was his personal deity and the king was also

influenced by followers of the Bhakti cult, which propagated non-

violence. The universality they preached about the victory of good

over evil, helped the common man overcome destructive forces and look

towards `light'.

 

The same tradition was followed by the Mysore rulers in later years,

with Goddess Chamundeshwari, another form of Durga, is believed to

have slayed the demon Mahishasura.

 

The ceremonies we witness today are supposed to have beginnings in

the 19th century. One of the main places in the procession is Banni

Mantap. `Banni', a Kannada word, is significant and is generally

known as `Shami' (Sanskrit term which means one of the five sacred

trees). It gradually assumed status as a symbol.

 

Shami legend

 

The tree has a legend going back to the Vedic times. In the Skanda

Purana, the emperor having run out of money and gold coins to give

Vishwamitra's son, vanquished Kubera. He then distributed 14 crore

gold coins among the poor, it is believed. Before starting out on his

mission, Vishwamitra is supposed to have meditated under the Shami

tree. Today this tradition continues among at least one sect in the

State and they substituting the leaf of the tree for a gold coin!

 

Reference in epics

 

During the time of the Mahabharata when the Pandavas were in exile,

incognito, Arjuna hid his weapon the Gandiva, wrapped in white to

resemble a shrouded dead body on the Shami tree. Conveniently, the

tree happened to be in a cemetery close by. Later he retrieved it to

vanquish the enemy.

 

Another legend states that the tree was nicknamed `Ramayana

Priyadarshini', after Rama stopped at the place during his exile.

Sita too is believed to have been abducted at the spot where the tree

stood.

 

Soon, the tree came to be associated with the Goddess and

with `Shani' (saturn). There were special rituals of drawing eight

leaves at the trunk of the tree, to symbolise eight directions. This

belief has led to some homes reciting the Ramayana on all the 10 days

of Dasara.

 

The distrubution of Shami leaves signifies `peace and

reconciliation', hence the message assumes greater significance of

the day of Vijayadashami, when those who set out to do something with

good intentions, are believed to taste victory.

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