Vijayadashami

Vijayadashami (IAST: Vijayadaśamī, pronounced [ʋɪʝəjəðəʃmɪ]]) also

Vijayadashami
known as Dasahara, Dusshera, Dasara, Dussehra or Dashain is
a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navratri every year. It is
observed on the tenth day in the Hindu calendar month of Ashvin or
Kartik, the sixth and seventh month of the Hindu Luni-Solar Calendar
respectively , which typically falls in the Gregorian months of September
and October.[3][4][5]

Vijayadashami is observed for different reasons and celebrated Vijayadasami reveres either Durga's
differently in various parts of South Asia.[6][1][7][3] In the southern, or Rama's victory over evil depending
eastern and northeastern states of India, Vijayadashami marks the end of on the region.[1]
Durga Puja, remembering goddess Durga's victory over the buffalo Also called Dussehra, Dasara,
demon Mahishasura to restore and protect dharma.[3][8] In the northern Navrathri
and western states, the festival is synonymously called Dussehra (also Observed by Hindus
spelled Dasara, Dashahara). In these regions, it marks the end of
Type Religious, Cultural
"Ramlila" and remembers God Rama's victory over the Ravan. On the
very same occasion; Arjuna alone decimated 1 lakh+ soldiers & defeated
Significance Celebrates the victory
all Kuru warriors including Bhishma, Drona, Ashwatthama, Karna, Kripa
of good over evil
etc.- there by significantly quoting the natural example of victory of good Celebrations Marks the end of
(Dharma) over evil (Adharma). Alternatively it marks a reverence for one Durga Puja or Ramlila
of the aspects of goddess Devi such as Durga or Saraswati.[1][4][5] Observances pandals (stages),
plays, community
Vijayadashami celebrations include processions to a river or ocean front
gathering, recitation of
that carry clay statues of Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and
scriptures, immersion
Kartikeya, accompanied by music and chants, after which the images are
of Durga or burning of
immersed into the water for dissolution and a goodbye. Elsewhere, on
Ravana
Dasara, the towering effigies of Ravan symbolizing the evil are burnt with
fireworks marking evil's destruction. The festival also starts the Date Ashvin (September or
preparation for one of the most important and widely celebrated Diwali, October)
the festival of lights, which is celebrated twenty days after the 2019 date 8 October, Tue [2]
Vijayadashami.[9][10][1]

Contents
Etymology
Ramayan
Mahabharat
Regional variations
Northern India
Himachal Pradesh
Southern India
Western India
Eastern India
Nepal
 See also
References
Bibliography
External links

Etymology
Vijayadashami (Devanagari: िवजयदशिम ) (Kannada: ಜಯದಶ ) (Tamil: ஜயதச ) (Telugu: జయదశ ) is a
composite of two words "Vijaya" (िवजय) and "Dashami" (दशमी), which respectively mean "victory"[11] and "tenth,"[12]
connoting the festival on the tenth day celebrating the victory of good over evil.[1][7] The same Hindu festival-related
term, however, takes different forms in different regions of India and Nepal, as well as among Hindu minorities found
elsewhere.[13]

According to James Lochtefeld, the word Dussehra (Devanagari: दशहर) (Kannada: ದಸ ಹಬ ) is a variant of
Dashahara which is a compound Sanskrit word composed of "dasham"(दशम) and "ahar" (अहर), respectively meaning
"10" and "day".[14][15][16] According to Monier-Williams, Dus (दु श) means "bad, evil, sinful," and Hara (हर) means
"removing, destroying," connoting "removing the bad, destroying the evil, sinful."[17][18]

Ramayan
Ravan kidnapped Sita. Raam requested Ravan to release her, but Ravan refused; the situation escalated and lead to
the war. After performing severe penance for ten thousand years, Ravan received a boon from the creator-god
Brahma: he could henceforth not be killed by gods, demons, or spirits. He is portrayed as a powerful demon king who
disturbs the penances of rishis. Lord Vishnu incarnates as the human Rama to defeat and kill him, thus circumventing
the boon given by Lord Brahma. A deadly and fierceful battle takes place between Raam and Ravan in which Raam
kills Ravan and ends the evil rule. Ravan has ten heads. The killing of the one who has ten heads is called Dusshera.
Finally, Dharma was established on the Earth because of Raam's victory over Ravan. Thus this festival is celebrated
reminding the victories of Good over Evil.

Mahabharat
In the Mahabharat,the Pandavs are known to have spent their thirteenth year of exile in disguise in the kingdom of
Virat. Before going to Virata, they are known to have hung their celestial weapons in a Shami tree for safekeeping for a
year. [19] [20] Bhima kills Kichak. Hearing about the death of Kichak, Duryodhan surmises that the Pandavs were
hiding in Matsya. A host of Kaurav warriors attacks Virat, presumably to steal their cattle, but in reality, desiring to
pierce the Pandavs' veil of anonymity. Full of bravado, Virat's son Uttar attempts to take on the army by himself while
the rest of the Matsya army has been lured away to fight Susharma and the Trigartas. As suggested by Draupadi, Uttar
takes Brihannala with him, as his charioteer. When he sees the Kaurav army, Uttar loses his nerve and attempts to
flee. Then Arjun reveals his identity and those of his brothers'. Arjun takes Uttar to the tree where the Pandavs hid
their weapons. Arjun picks up his Gandiva after worshipping the tree, as the Shami tree safeguarded the Pandavs’
weapons for that complete year. Arjun reties the thread of Gandiva, simply drags and releases it - which produces a
terrible twang. At the same point of time, Kaurav warriors were eagerly waiting to spot Pandavs. Dispute chats took
place between Karn and Dron. Karn told Duryodhan that he would easily defeat Arjun and doesn’t feel threatened by
Drona’s words since Drona was intentionally praising Arjuna, as Arjuna was a favorite student of Drona. Ashwatthama
supports his father by praising Arjun. Then Arjun arrives on the battlefield. [21]. Eager to defend the land that had
given him refuge, Arjun engaged the legion of Kaurav warriors. The battle starts between Arjun and the entire Kuru
Army. All the warriors including Bhishma, Dron, Karn, Kripa and Ashwathama together attacked Arjun to kill him, but
Arjun defeated all of them multiple times.[22]. During the battle, Arjun also killed Sangramjit, the foster brother of
Karn, and instead of taking revenge for his brother, Karn fled in order to save his life from Arjun. Karn tried to fly
away from Arjuna but he could not since Arjun invoked Sammohanaastra which made the entire army fall asleep.[23].
This is the war in which Arjun proved that he was the best archer in the world at his time. In this way Arjuna alone
defeated the entire Kuru army consisting of ten thousands of soldiers, Maharathis : Bhishma, Drona, Karna ;
Atirathis : Kripa, Ashwatthama. One of the names of Arjuna is Vijaya - ever victorious. This incident took place on the
same day in which Lord Raam killed Ravan. As it was Arjun’s day, the day also became popular as "Vijaya Dashami"

Regional variations

Northern India
In most of northern and western India, Dasha-Hara (literally, "ten days") is
celebrated in honour of Raam Thousands of drama-dance-music plays
based on the Ramayan and Ramcharitmanas (Ramlila) are performed at
outdoor fairs across the land and in temporarily built staging grounds
featuring effigies of the demons Ravan, Kumbhakarn and Meghanath. The
effigies are burnt on bonfires in the evening of Vijayadashami-Dussehra.[5]
Dasara is observed with the burning
While Dussehra is observed on the same day across India, the festivities
of Ravana effigies.
leading to it vary. In many places, the "Rama Lila", or the brief version of
the story of Rama, Sita and Lakshaman, is enacted over the 9 days before
it, but in some cities such as Varanasi the entire story is freely acted out by performance-artists before the public every
evening for a month.[16]

The performance arts tradition during the Dussehra festival was inscribed by UNESCO as one of the "Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity" in 2008.[24] The festivities, states UNESCO, include songs, narration, recital and
dialogue based on the Hindu text Ramacharitmanas by Tulsidas. It is celebrated across northern India for dussehra,
but particularly in historically important Hindu cities of Ayodhya, Varanasi, Vrindavan, Almora, Satna and
Madhubani.[24] The festival and dramatic enactment of the virtues versus vices filled story is organized by
communities in hundreds of small villages and towns, attracting a mix of audiences from different social, gender and
economic backgrounds. In many parts of India, the audience and villagers join in and participate spontaneously, some
helping the artists, others helping with stage setup, make-up, effigies and lights.[24] These arts come to a close on the
night of Dussehra, when the victory of Raam is celebrated by burning the effigies of evil, Ravan and his colleagues.[13]

Himachal Pradesh
Kullu Dussehra is celebrated in the Kullu valley of Himachal Pradesh and is regionally notable for its large fair and
parade witnessed by estimated half a million people. The festival is a symbol of victory of good over evil by Raghu
Nath, and is celebrated like elsewhere in the Indian subcontinent with a procession.[25] The special feature of the Kullu
Dasara procession is the arrival of floats containing deities from different parts of the nearby regions and their journey
to Kullu.[26]

Southern India
Vijayadasami is celebrated in a variety of ways in South India.[27] Celebrations range from worshipping Durga, lighting
up temples and major forts such as at Mysore, to displaying colorful figurines, known as a golu.

The festival played a historical role in the 14th-century Vijayanagara Empire, where it was called Mahanavami. The
Italian traveller Niccolò de' Conti described the festival's intensity and importance as a grandeur religious and martial
event with royal support. The event revered Durga as the warrior goddess (some texts refer to her as
Chamundeshwari). The celebrations hosted athletic competitions, singing and dancing, fireworks, a pageantry military
parade and charitable giving to the public.[28][29]