Dussehra (also transliterated as Dasara) or Vijaya Dasami is an important Hindu festival. It is celebrated by Indians every year in the Hindu Vikrami Calendar month of Ashwin (September / October). Transliteration in a narrow sense is a mapping from one script into another script. ... Jump to: navigation, search A Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, the predominant religious, philosophical and cultural systems of Bharat (India) and Nepal. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Hindu calendar is of two types: the solar calendar or the saura māna the lunisolar calendar or the chāndra māna Both are described in this article. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with 30 days. ... Jump to: navigation, search October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ...

The Legend

This day marks the triumph of Lord Rama over Demon king Ravana. On this day, Rama killed Ravana. Deities of Sri Sri Sita (far right), Rama (center), Lakshmana (far left) and Hanuman (below seated) at the Bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford England Lord Rama (center) with wife Sita, brother Lakshmana and devotee Hanuman. ... In Hinduism In Hindu mythology, the Asura are a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes misleadingly referred to as demons. ... Ravana, Indian Demon King of Lanka In Hindu mythology, Ravana is one of the principal antagonists of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. ...

Rama was asked to go on exile because his stepmother, Queen Kaikeyee was tricked into asking King Dasaratha to exile him for 14 years. Rama's wife Sita, and his brother Lakshmana went with him willingly. Jump to: navigation, search Lord Ram, Laxman, Sita and Hanuman(crouching) The Ramayana (Sanskrit: march or journey (ayana) of Rama) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ...

News of Rama staying at an ashmram while on exile spread rapidly. A demon, Shoorpanakha found her way there and demanded that Rama or Lakshmana marry her. When both brothers rejected her, she threatened to kill Sita, so that Rama would then be single again. Lakshmana then cut off her ears and nose. Jump to: navigation, search Lord Ram, Laxman, Sita and Hanuman(crouching) The Ramayana (Sanskrit: march or journey (ayana) of Rama) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ...

Shoorpanakha's brother was the demon King Ravana. Ravana was incensed to hear what happened to his sister, and kidnapped Sita to avenge the insult. Ravana, Indian Demon King of Lanka In Hindu mythology, Ravana is one of the principal antagonists of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. ...

The Ramayana chronicles Rama's travels and deeds as he searched for his wife, and defeated evil. Jump to: navigation, search Lord Ram, Laxman, Sita and Hanuman(crouching) The Ramayana (Sanskrit: march or journey (ayana) of Rama) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ...

Celebrations

On this day, people spend the day decorating the entrances of houses & shops with flower studded strings called 'Torans' (Floral Gateways).

At night, effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakaran and Meghanad are stuffed with firecrackers and set alight. Children expecially enjoy seeing this because of the beautiful fireworks on the ground. The festival, which is thought of as the 'Victory of Good over Evil' and "Return of Rama from Exile' is celebrated in grand style. Because the day is auspicious, people inaugurate new vehicles, machineries, books, weapons and tools by ceremonially asking god to bless the new items. Ravana, Indian Demon King of Lanka In Hindu mythology, Ravana is one of the principal antagonists of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. ... Jump to: navigation, search Lord Ram, Laxman, Sita and Hanuman(crouching) The Ramayana (Sanskrit: march or journey (ayana) of Rama) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ... Jump to: navigation, search Lord Ram, Laxman, Sita and Hanuman(crouching) The Ramayana (Sanskrit: march or journey (ayana) of Rama) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ...

Different Celebrations in Different Parts of South Asia

Dussehra is celebrated in various ways in different parts of South Asia. In Bengal, the festival is celebrated as Kali Puja or Durga Puja, while in Tamil Nadu, the festival incorporates worship of the goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Shakti. Jump to: navigation, search Bengal, known as Bôngo (Bengali: বঙ্গ), Bangla (বাংলা), Bôngodesh (বঙ্গদেশ), or Bangladesh (বাংলাদেশ) in Bangla (Bengali), is a region in the northeast of South Asia. ... A priest worshipping a contemporary idol of Durga, shown riding her lion and attacking the demon Mahisasur. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... Popular image of Lakshmi In Hinduism, Lakshmi or Laxmi (Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी) is the goddess of wealth, light and fortune, as well as (secondarily) luck, beauty and fertility. ... Jump to: navigation, search Saraswati, goddess of education Saraswati is the first of the three great goddesses of Hinduism, the other two being Lakshmi and Durga. ... In most South Asian languages, Shakti translates literally as power. ...

Some people feel that Dussehra and Dasara are not simply different transliterations of the same word, but two different festivals.

Dasara is the festival marking end of Navratri and the immersion of Durga idols which are worshipped for nine days prior to Dussehra. Dussehra is also the day when many families start formal education of their kids. The practise has been so old, that in some parts of Kerala, even after conversions to Christianity, some members of the community continued this tradition. In 2004, many churches in Kerala formally adopted the same tradition of introducing young children to education on Dussehra day. Navratri or Navratra is a Hindu festival of worship and dance. ... Look up immersion in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Jump to: navigation, search 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Dasara celebrations in Mysore are popular with tourists, and are conducted with great pomp. Dasara is celebrated in Nepal by the name of Dashain.

Also, see Dasara. Dasara, also called Navaratri, is among the most important festivals celebrated in Southern India. ...

External links

• Dussehra Festival
• Mysore Dasara