DUSSEHRA- HERE’S WHY FESTIVAL IS CELEBRATED ON THE 10TH DAY?
HERE’S WHY DUSSEHRA IS CELEBRATED ON the 10TH DAY OF NAVRATRA?
Dussehra festival is one of the significant and longest festivals in India. It is celebrated every year with full enthusiasm, faith, love and honor by the people of Hindu religion all over the country. It is a really great time to enjoy by all. People wait for this festival come with huge patience. This festival is celebrated by worshipping the goddess Durga. Devotes of lord Rama and maa Durga keep fast for the first and last day or whole nine days and worships the goddess Durga. Navratra is also known as Durga puja when the goddess Durga is worship in her nine forms.
People celebrate Dussehra festival means tenth day as Vijay Dashmi by organizing a big fair or Ram-Lila where they show the dramatic life history of Lord Rama. The Ram-Lila fair indicates the legends behind celebrating the Vijay Dashmi which are Lord Rama and Ravana. It shows the whole history of kidnapping of Seeta, the victory of Rama and defeat and kills of a demon king, Ravana and his son, Meghnath and brother, Kumbhkaran.
Real people play the role of Rama, Lakshman, Seeta, and Hanuman however they make the paper statue of Ravana, Meghnath, and Kumbhkaran. In the end, they burn all the three statues of Ravana, Meghnath, and Kumbhkaran to show the victory of Lord Rama and the killing of Ravana with the sound of fire-crackers.
There are many myths related to this festival according to the customs and traditions of the people in many regions of the country. This festival was started celebrating by the people of Hindu religion from the day Lord Rama had killed the demon king Ravana on the day of Dussehra (means 10th day of Ashwayuja month of Hindu calendar). Lord Rama had killed Ravana because he had kidnapped the Mata Seeta and was not agree to return her to Lord Rama. Lord Rama had won the war with Ravana with the help of younger brother Lakshman and Vanar soldier of Hanuman.
According to the Hindu Scripture, Ramayana, it is mentioned that Lord Ram had performed Chandi Hom to make goddess Durga happy and get blessings. In this way, Lord Rama got the victory by knowing the secret of Ravana’s killing on the 10th day of the war. Finally, he retained his wife Seeta safely after killing the Ravana. Dussehra festival is also known as the Durgotsav because it is considered that on the same day another demon called Mahishasura was killed by the Mata Durga on the tenth day. A huge fair of Ramlila takes place in the Ram-Lila ground where people from nearby regions come to see the fair and dramatic representation of the Ramlila. People celebrate this festival with lots of joy and faith in India.
