It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Dasara. (Discuss)

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Navaratri. (Discuss)

Vijayadashami (Hindi and Marathi: विजयादशमी, Kannada:ವಿಜಯದಶಮಿ), also known as Dussehra (Hindi: दशहरा, Kannada: ದಸರ, Marathi: दसरा) or Mohani Nakha (Nepal Bhasa:मोहनी नख:) is a festival celebrated across India. It is celebrated on the tenth day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Ashwayuja or Ashwina, and is the grand culmination of the 10-day annual festival of Dasara or Navaratri. The legend underlying the celebration, as also its mode of conduct, vary vastly by region; however, all festivities celebrate the victory of the forces of Good over Evil. It is also considered to be an auspicious day to begin new things in life. It is the largest festival of Nepal and celebrated by Hindu and non-Hindu as well. Image File history File links Merge-arrows. ... Dasara, also called Navaratri, is among the most important festivals celebrated in Southern India. ... Image File history File links Merge-arrows. ... Navratri or Navratra is a Hindu festival of worship and dance. ... Hindi ( , Devanagari: or , IAST: , IPA: ), an Indo-European language spoken all over India in varying degrees and extensively in northern and central India, is one of the two central official languages of India, the other being English. ... Marathi (मराठी ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western India (Maharashtrians). ... Kannada - aptly described as sirigannada (known to few as Kanarese) is one of the oldest Dravidian languages and is spoken in its various dialects by roughly 45 million people. ... Hindi ( , Devanagari: or , IAST: , IPA: ), an Indo-European language spoken all over India in varying degrees and extensively in northern and central India, is one of the two central official languages of India, the other being English. ... Kannada - aptly described as sirigannada (known to few as Kanarese) is one of the oldest Dravidian languages and is spoken in its various dialects by roughly 45 million people. ... Marathi (मराठी ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western India (Maharashtrians). ... “Newari” redirects here. ... Dasara, also called Navaratri, is among the most important festivals celebrated in Southern India. ... Navratri or Navratra is a Hindu festival of worship and dance. ...

Significance

In Southern India, Eastern India and Western India, the festival of Navaratri which culminates with Vijayadashami commemorates the legend in which the Goddess Durga, also known as Chamundeshwari or Mahishasura Mardini, vanquishes the demon Mahishasura, an event that is said to have taken place in the vicinity of the present day city of Mysore in Karnataka. In Northern India, the same 10-day festival commemorates the victory of Rama, prince of Ayodhya in present-day Uttar Pradesh, over Ravana, the ruler of Lanka, who according to the Ramayana had abducted Sita Devi, the consort of the former, and held her captive in his realm. Navratri or Navratra is a Hindu festival of worship and dance. ... In Hinduism, Durga (Sanskrit: , Bengali: ) is a form of Devi, the supreme goddess. ... A statue of Mahishasura in Chamundi Hills, Mysore In Hindu mythology, Mahishasura was an asura (demon). ... , For other uses, see Mysore (disambiguation). ... , Karnātakā   (Kannada: ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ) (IPA: ) is one of the four southern states of India. ... Rama ( in IAST, in DevanāgarÄ«) or Ramachandra is a legendary or historical king of ancient India. ... Ayodhya   (Hindi: अयोध्या, Urdu: ایودھیا IAST Ayodhyā) is an ancient city of India, the old capital of Awadh, in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh. ... , Uttar Pradesh (Hindi: , Urdu: , translation: Northern Province, IPA: ,  ), [often referred to as U.P.], located in central-south Asia and northern India, is the most populous and fifth largest state in the Republic of India. ... A depiction of Ravana, Hindu rakshasa King of Lanka In Hinduism, Ravana; sometimes transliterated as Raavana or Ravan or Revana) is the principal antagonist of Rama in the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. ... Lanka is the name given in Hindu mythology to the island fortress capital of the evil king Ravana in the epic Ramayana. ... For the television series by Ramanand Sagar, see Ramayan (TV series). ... This article is about Sita Devi, the wife of Rama. ...

Legend of the Shami Tree

There is another and little-known legend associated with this festival, one associated with the Mahabharata. For reasons impossible to delineate here, the Pandavas underwent a period of exile, being 12 years of dwelling in the forest followed by a year of exile incognito. Disguise being indispensable during the latter period, the Pandavas found it necessary to lay aside, for the length of that year, the many divine and distinctive weapons that they possessed^#. These they secreted in a 'Shami' tree in the vicinity^* of their chosen place of incognito residence. At the end of a year, they returned to the spot, found their weaponry intact, and worshipped in thanksgiving both the Shami tree and the Goddess Durga, presiding deity of strength and victory. Meanwhile, the Kauravas had invaded that area, suspecting the residence of the Pandavas there. Upon finishing their devotions, the Pandavas made straight to battle, and won the contest comprehensively. The day that all these events occurred on has since been known as "Vijayadashami", where "Vijaya" is the Sanskrit word for "Victory". For the film by Peter Brook, see The Mahabharata (1989 film). ... The Pandavas were the five sons of the king Pandu. ... The Pandavas were the five sons of the king Pandu. ... In Hinduism, Durga (Sanskrit: , Bengali: ) is a form of Devi, the supreme goddess. ... The term Kaurava is a Sanskrit term, that means the descendants of Kuru, a legendary king who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the Mahabharata. ... The Pandavas were the five sons of the king Pandu. ... The Pandavas were the five sons of the king Pandu. ... Sanskrit ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ...

The fact of the comprehensive success of the Pandavas in their endeavour has been extrapolated to the everyday ventures of the common man today. Even to this day, people exchange Shami leaves and wish each other victory in their own ventures and efforts. The following shloka is used, sometimes, to signify this: Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

शमी शमयते पापम् शमी शत्रुविनाशिनी ।
अर्जुनस्य धनुर्धारी रामस्य प्रियदर्शिनी ॥
करिष्यमाणयात्राया यथाकालम् सुखम् मया ।
तत्रनिर्विघ्नकर्त्रीत्वं भव श्रीरामपूजिता ॥

shamI shamayate paapam shamI shaTruvinaashinI |
arjunasya dhanurdhaari raamsya priyadasrshinI ||
karishyamaaNayaatraayaa yayaakaalam sukham mayaa |
tatranirviGnakrtrItvam bhava shrIraamapUjitaa ||

# – Arjuna's Gandeeva bow was one among them.
* – It is said that the Shami tree chosen by the Pandavas stood inside a cremation ground. It was chosen to render detection that much less likely. The Pandavas wrapped their weapons in a white cloth and concealed this on that shami tree, making the weapons look like a dead body.

Celebration

A typical scene of the public celebrations of the festival

In Northern India, the festival commemorates the victory of Rama, prince of Ayodhya and avatara of Vishnu, over Ravana, the ruler of Lanka who had abducted Rama's wife, Sita Devi. The festival is celebrated with much gusto. Crackers are burnt, and huge melas or fetes are organised. The Ramlila - an abriged dramatization of the Ramayana - is enacted with much public fervour all over northern India during the period of the festivities. The burning of the effigies of Ravana on Vijayadashami, signifying the victory of good over evil, brings the festivities to a colourful close. In some regions, Sikhs and Hindus celebrate Vijayadashmami together. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 634 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Date: 02-Oct-2006 Coordinates of location (Jalandhar, Punjab, India): 31. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 634 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Date: 02-Oct-2006 Coordinates of location (Jalandhar, Punjab, India): 31. ... Rama ( in IAST, in DevanāgarÄ«) or Ramachandra is a legendary or historical king of ancient India. ... Ayodhya   (Hindi: अयोध्या, Urdu: ایودھیا IAST Ayodhyā) is an ancient city of India, the old capital of Awadh, in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being (i. ... A depiction of Ravana, Hindu rakshasa King of Lanka In Hinduism, Ravana; sometimes transliterated as Raavana or Ravan or Revana) is the principal antagonist of Rama in the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. ... Lanka is the name given in Hindu mythology to the island fortress capital of the evil king Ravana in the epic Ramayana. ... Rama ( in IAST, in DevanāgarÄ«) or Ramachandra is a legendary or historical king of ancient India. ... This article is about Sita Devi, the wife of Rama. ... Ramlila (Hindi: रामलीला) is a dramatic folk re-enactment of the ten day battle between Lord Ram and Ravan, as described in the Hindu religious epic, the Ramayan. ... For the television series by Ramanand Sagar, see Ramayan (TV series). ... A depiction of Ravana, Hindu rakshasa King of Lanka In Hinduism, Ravana; sometimes transliterated as Raavana or Ravan or Revana) is the principal antagonist of Rama in the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. ... A Sikh man wearing a turban The adherents of Sikhism are called Sikhs. ... This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ...

The legend associated with the Shami tree finds commemoration during the renowned Navaratri celebrations at Mysore, which otherwise strongly emphasizes the Durga legend described above, as may be expected in the city built at the very site of the events of the Durga legend. On Vijaydashami day, at the culmination of a colourful 10-day celebration, the goddess Chamundeshwari is worshipped and then borne in a Golden Ambari or elephant-mounted throne, in a grand procession, through the city of Mysore, from the historical Mysore Palace to the Banni Mantapa. Banni is the Kannada word for the Sanskrit Shami, and Mantapa means "Pavilion". A lit up Mysore Palace, the epicenter of all Dasara festivities held in Mysore Dasara is the Nadahabba (state-festival) of the state of Karnataka. ... In Hinduism, Durga (Sanskrit: , Bengali: ) is a form of Devi, the supreme goddess. ... In Hinduism, Durga (Sanskrit: , Bengali: ) is a form of Devi, the supreme goddess. ... In Hinduism, Durga (Sanskrit: , Bengali: ) is a form of Devi, the supreme goddess. ... , For other uses, see Mysore (disambiguation). ... Palace of Mysore The Palace of Mysore is a palace situated in the city of Mysore, southern India. ... Kannada - aptly described as sirigannada (known to few as Kanarese) is one of the oldest Dravidian languages and is spoken in its various dialects by roughly 45 million people. ... Sanskrit ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ...

Duserah Carnival in South Tamilnadu

Dhasera festival, which celebrates the killing of a treacherous demon by the Goddess Kali, a native tribal deity is one of the most largest celberated function in South Taminadu.

Every year in the month of October at midnight of festival day, villagers assemble at Kulasekaranpattinam near Thiruchendur to offer their prayers.

Dancing like honeybees

After fasting for a good number of days and prayers, people throng the place dancing like honeybees and dressed like goddess `Kali", holding fire pots. On the concluding night many come and seek the blessings from people who dressed up as goddess Kali.

Kulasekarapattinam a coastal village in Thoothukkudi distric with a famous for its 300-year old Muthuraman Koil located on the seashore. During Dusserah more than one million people asssemble in the area and fine music resonates with the rhythmic beat of drums. Folk artistes from all over the State converge here to participate in the 10-day festival. The beach looks like a fair ground and the performances reminds one of the natyotsavs in large temple.Tuticorin, Nellai and Kumari district bustle with prepataion for Folk Carnival activities this year. There is no Royal patronage and the entire festivity veers round the presiding deity Sri Mutharamman of Kulasekarapattinam. Following an age-old tradition, devotees vow to go from house to house to beg for alms, disguised in various celestial forms such asKali, Siva, Vishnu and Narada, Animal Forms Such as Tiger, Monkey, Bear, Lion, . Some devotees transform themselves into mundane figuressuch as policemen, King, Queen, Justice,"narikurava rs" and beggars during the festival, and roam with begging bowls, to propitiate the Goddess. This year more than 150 vareities will be taken up by devotees. Virtually devotees from all villages have their own funds earmarked for the festival. It is the festival of communal harmony surpassing the barriers of religion, caste and social status

In several villages of South Tamilnadu, Tiger dances, known as Pulikali is a unique form of folk dance that fascinates the young and the old alike during the large assembly of carnivel. Since tiger is considered as the favored carrier of Folk Goddess (the Goddess in whose honor Dussera is celebrated), this dance is performed during the Dussera celebration . Performers,usually experienced youth or elderly man who paint themselves like tigers in bright yellow, red and black, and dance to the beats of instruments. Tiger dancers–men painted over with stripes and wearing tiger masks–lead the procession.

The tiger dancers, paint the big cat in its various moods on their bodies. Feline faces glare from the potbellies of the dances with each jiggle giving them expression. The almost life-like faces are the center of attraction at the "Pulikali" as the tiger dance is locally known. The dance which also features an array of tiger masks, is performed with great pomp and show every year. The performance is also a competition. Several performing teams , compete to have the most exciting performance. As the drumbeats reach a crescendo, so do the movements of the dancers. The feline movements of the dancers keep the audience spellbound. Traditional herbal colors that the dancers used to adorn their bodies. Big crowds gather to watch the performance.

The festival is celebrated with much fervour and splendour in Southern India.

See also: dasara and Mysore Dasara

Dasara, also called Navaratri, is among the most important festivals celebrated in Southern India. ... A lit up Mysore Palace, the epicenter of all Dasara festivities held in Mysore Dasara is the Nadahabba (state-festival) of the state of Karnataka. ...

External links

This article contains Indic text. Without rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes or other symbols instead of Indic characters; or irregular vowel positioning and a lack of conjuncts.

• More light on Pandavas story
• Kullu Dussehra-Lord Raghunath Rathyatra with Precision of Local Dieties
• Online vijayadasami Poojas
• Mysore Dasara portal
• Kamat's description of Dasara, Vijayadashami
• Navaratri on BBC

v • d • e Festivals in the Hindu calendar
Major Festivals	Sankranti (Pongal) · Holi · Rama Navami · Krishna Janmashtami · Ganesh Chaturthi and Gowri Habba  · Navaratri (Dasara) and Durga Puja (Vijayadashami) · Diwali and Bhau-Beej
Regional New Year	Vaisakhi · Ugadi · Vishu · Puthandu · Onam
Holy Days	Satyanarayana Pooja · Karwa Chauth · Thaipusam · Maha Shivaratri · Ekadasi · Mahalakshmi Vrata · Ayya Vaikunda Avataram · Raksha Bhandan