Dussehra is a Hindu festival to celebrate the victory of Good over Evil. It is a nine-day festivity called Navaratri, celebrating the defeat of the Demon King Ravana of Lanka by Lord Rama. Giant effigies of the ten-headed Ravana are burnt on bonfires all across the world. It is a big celebration at Mysore Palace in Karnataka, my state. The Essence of the Dussehra Festival is to search for the demons that reside in us. They are known as Mahishasura and Ravana, represented by greed, revenge, ego, and evil thoughts to hurt and harm fellow beings. Through the nine days of Navaratri, one purges each of the bad ideas and purifies to live a righteous life.
Navaratri signifies the progress of a spiritual aspirant. The aspirant has to pass three stages personified by Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswathi during this spiritual journey. Then, they enter into the realm of the infinite, wherein one realizes one’s Self. Navaratri means ‘nine nights,’ each of the three days are dedicated to worshipping the Divine in the forms of Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswathi. The tenth day is known as Vijayadashami, the ‘tenth day of victory’ also known as Dussehra.
Mike Ghouse has been writing the essence of significant festivals of every religion since 1993 so that we learn about each other’s festivities and commemorations in the given community. You can google search for most celebrations with his name. More about him at https://www.TheGhouseDiary.com