Different Ways Of Celebrating Dussehra In Various Indian States

Dussehra is one festival that is celebrated with great enthusiasm and zeal all over India. It signifies the one ultimate meaning: the victory of good over evil and the triumph of right over wrong. The day is related to Hindu mythology, where different actions took place to make it significant.

 

There are two significant legends that are considered by the many Indian States. These legends are about Goddess Durga and Lord Rama.

 

The celebration might happen in different ways; however, the essence always remains the same. Today we will know how some major Indian states celebrate Dussehra.

 

West Bengal

 

Bengalis people have their firm belief in Goddess Durga, and there the festivity is dedicated to the Goddess majorly. In fact, West Bengal is identified by its great gestures of Durga Puja, where every woman can be seen wearing their white and red traditional sarees.

 

People make the idols of the Goddess and place them in various pandals. They also place some other deities along, such as Ganesha, Laxmi, and Saraswati. The celebration goes on for nine days and nights, and Dussehra is celebrated as Vijayadashami on the tenth day.

 

Gujarat

 

Gujarat becomes all colorful when Navaratri arrives, and everyone knows it! The Garba and Dandiya are very famous, that people from other states also perform Garba during Navaratri. People from other states also visit Gujarat during the festivity to experience the joy of playing Dandiya with those colorful dresses and sticks. Garba happens after worshipping Goddess Durga, where men and women wear their traditional Gujarati dresses.

 

Kullu, Himachal Pradesh

 

Kullu town of Himachal Pradesh is also one of the states where Dussehra is celebrated greatly. The celebration here goes on for seven days; the people of Kullu worship Lord Raghunath, where the worship happens on Dhalpur Maidan. Local village people bring their idols of God and Goddesses to make them a part of the procession.

 

Ram Leela in Delhi

 

Delhi celebrates Dussehra for the mythology related to Lord Rama. These people worship Lord Rama to celebrate his triumph over Ravana. They celebrate the festivity by organizing Ram Leela, which depicts the whole story of Lord Rama and his war against Ravana. The play goes on for nine days, and the tenth day is celebrated as Dussehra.

 

Punjab

 

People of Punjab also celebrate the female Goddess Maa Durga. They observe fast for seven days; people also do Jagraata, during which they stay awake the whole night and sing and dance on devotional songs dedicated to the Goddess. On the eighth day, they break their fast and organize Bhandara, where they invite nine young girls to eat special food such as Puri, Aloo sabzi, Kheer, and more stuff.

 

Tamil Nadu

 

In Tamil Nadu, people celebrate Goddess Durga along with Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswati. Here all the states organize a doll show which happens on the day of Dussehra. In the evening, married women invite each other and greet them with gifts and accessories related to marital life, such as coconut, betel nuts, and money to each other.

 

Kulasekarapattinam Dasara in Tamil Nadu

 

Kulasekarapattinam Dasara is different than Dussehra. The festivity happens for ten days around the Mutharamman Temple. Here people wear vibrant dresses and participate in music, dance, and drama. Trance dance is famous here in which people wear unique dresses and show their moves on the beats of thara thappattam.

 

Ravan Dahan in Uttar Pradesh

 

In Uttar Pradesh, the whole festivity is celebrated with great enthusiasm. People make giant statues of Ravana, his son, and his brother. Ram Leela goes on for a week which depicts the life story of Lord Rama along with Mata Sita and brother Laxman. Many great actors come to perform these roles, and people from all cities come to witness this grand theatrical performance. The audience then burns the statues of Ravana with the burning arrows.

 

Karnataka

 

In Karnataka, the festival happens like a grand carnival; the grand festival enjoys the history of Haaleri Kings. This is called Mariamma, where people perform folk dance and dedicate it to Draupadi.

 

A parade also happens in which people dress like gods, goddesses, demons, and elves. All of this happens amidst the surroundings of Coorg, where the soothing environment makes it even more appealing to attend.