Dussera in India

I remember shutting my eyes as tight as I could as I covered my ears with my hands as soon as Ram’s arrow hit Ravana, and the firework hidden in the enormous Ravana effigy would immediately go off. I would usually be standing almost a kilometre away from the effigy, and yet, there it was; imposing, huge, as loud as anything could possibly be when it was set on fire, billowing clouds of smoke up into the polluted pre-Diwali Delhi sky. While this spectacle has been an intrinsic experience marking Dussehra, or Vijaydashami, for a large number of urban city dwellers in some parts of India, and perhaps the only one for many, the festival has been central to the Indian landscape since even before the birth of the ritual of burning effigies. It has manifested itself in a number of Indian cultures over time, and is considered one of the most auspicious occasions of the year. 

The culmination of the nine days of the celebration of Navratri, Vijayadashami is celebrated on the tenth day of brighter fortnight the month of Ashwin according to the Hindu calendar. The nine days mark the battle the goddess Durga undertook with Mahishasur, the most powerful of Asurs (demigods) who attempted to capture heaven from Devs (Gods). On the other hand, as recorded in the Ramayana, Dussehra marks the killing of Ravana by Ram, the seventh avatar of Vishnu. In the interlinking of the agricultural world with all epics and all calendars, the festival also marks the beginning of the season of harvest, and the goddess Durga is invoked upon to bring fertility to the soil after a good harvest. Yet, with the multiplicity of myths, the festival is celebrated through different rituals and different colours throughout the country. 

In most of northern India and some parts of Maharashtra, Dussehra is celebrated in honour of Rama. Ramleela, which are theatrical performances of the Ramayana, are performed at outdoor fairs throughout Navratri with an ardent festive spirit, in all the colours and lights possible. The plays are of special significance in the Kullu region of Himachal Pradesh, where the performances have a history dating back to the seventeenth century. Dussehra witnesses large parades with effigies of Ravana with his brothers’ (, Kumbhakarna and Meghanad) effigies are held. The effigies are burnt either in large Ramleela grounds or in small bonfires locally. In the hot parts of Northern India, the period marks the end of summer, and the onset of cold weather is believed to be the season of infections and viral fevers. The burning of the effigies, filled with firecrackers containing phosphorus, supposedly purifies the atmosphere and rids it of infectious insects.

Eastern India sees some of the most vibrant celebrations of Navratri and then Vijaydashami, with rituals ranging in colours and forms throughout various regions. In Bengal, representations of Durga are worshipped for five days and immersed in a river or pond on Vijayadashami, the fifth day. Over the years, these idols of Durga and their creation have evolved into an art of their own, with huge local pandals having their own private sets of idols, thronged by visitors from everywhere. The immersion is known as Durga Bisarjan or Bhashaan. In Jharkhand, Bengal, Assam and Odisha, Kali, an aspect of Durga, is worshipped as a symbol of shakti. In Odisha, after the immersion, Ravan Podi is celebrated and Ravan is burned in effigy.

The immensely diverse Southern region of India has versions of Dussehra and Vijaydashami celebrations to themselves, and intriguing regional folklore and mythology has grown around all performative rituals. Vijayadashami is an auspicious day for beginning formal education, and is seen as important in terms of general success in life. In Telugu households, it becomes an important day for marking the beginning of life events; family members seek blessings from their elders by giving them leaves from the shami tree. In Tamil Nadu and Kerela, Vidyarambham is celebrated on Vijaydashami when the child begins their formal education by writing for the first time with their index finger on rice spread in a plate. Mysore Dasara is the Nadahabba, or state-festival of the state of Karnataka in India. The name of Mysore comes from the slaying of Mahishasura, and it has a long tradition of celebrating the Dasara festival with utter grandeur and the remarkable lighting up of the Mysore Palace making the festivities there are an elaborate affair.

Vijaydashami in Maharashtra becomes a lot about celebrating artisans and craftsmen and bringing out a sense of peace amongst all through the promise of a prosperous future. On Vijayadashami, observers ritually cross the border of their respective communities in a ceremony known as Simollanghan, which, in Marathi, literally means "crossing the border". The festivities are marked by the worshipping of the Bidi leaf, and decoration of worshipping spaces using marigolds, giving a unique sense to the festivities themselves.

With all rituals embedded within the harvest season, there is no essence that can ever be lost to Dussehra or Vijaydashami. All that can be found, however, is the sense of oneness that runs in festivities, where amongst the intricacies of rituals, all caste and creed has the hope of being forgotten, and in prayers and wishes, one can hope to be draped in their own colours and blending in to the endless festivities.