Dussehra (Vijayadashami) is one of the most famous and religious festival of Hindus and celebrated across the country every year. Vijayadashami is observed on Dashami Tithi of Shukla Paksha in the month of Ashwina. This year, Dussehra is going to be celebrated on October 24, 2023 and is a time for families to unite and partake in rituals and festivities.
Dussehra denotes victory of good over evil and there are two stories that are associated with the festival in Hindu mythology. First mythology is associated with goddess Durga defeated demon Mahishasura after a fierce battle lasting for more than nine days. As per second on the tenth day of Vijayadashami marks the destruction of the Lanka demon, Ravana, by Lord Rama.
Top picks of famous Dussehra celebration in India
1. Mysuru Dussehra: Karnataka, India
“Nadahabba” or the state festival of Karnataka, Mysore Dussehra is famous Dussehra in India and has been there for 400 years.
Best Days To Join : 6th Day of Event. For Dussehra, it’s ideal to land in Mysore on 5 day of Navratri and witness the grand affair.
Highlight of Event: The illuminated Mysore palace is a delight to the eye. The grand procession, march pasts, tableaus, dances and martial arts performances are once a lifetime experience. Jumbo Savaari or the elephant procession where the decorated royal elephants lead the procession.
2. Kullu Dussehra: , Himachal Pradesh , India
Kullu Dussehra is celebrated on the tenth day of Navratri in the Dhalpur maidan in Kullu valley and continues for seven days.
Best Days To Join : 8th day of Navratri.
Highlight of Event: Phool yatra, international folk festival, Nainadevi fair, and Kullu Fair rath yatra on the first day of the event and Ramlila throughout the entire week. The Folk performances of Gaddi Shepherds.
3. Bastar Dussehra: Chhattisgarh, India
Bastar Dussehra (Jagdalpur Dussehra )is celebrated by tribals of Baster District in Chhattisgarh. The local tribal people perform a number of rituals over the course of these 10 days, including pata jatra, deri gadhai, muria durbar, nisha jatra, kachan gaadi, and ohadi, which is the final day’s farewell to the gods.
Best Days To Join: The 13th day of the bright moon in September and the day after Dussehra in October
Highlight of Event: The region’s tribes dressed brightly in traditional attire, rare rituals that intrigue you like a youth buried shoulder-deep in a pit for nine days, a massive chariot pulled by 400 people and energetic dancing, drumming and celebrations surround the place.
4. Ramlilla : Delhi, India
Dussehra celebrations in Delhi are the Ramlila shows held most notably at the Ramlila Maidan and Red Fort. The plays enact the story of Ramayana across the 10 days and ends on the final day with Lord Rama killing Ravana.
Best Days To Join: The event must be attended for all 10 days as the story of Ramayana is acted in a sequential manner.
Highlight of Event: Ramlila dramas about Lord Ram and his victory over Ravana was performance across the Delhi at Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, Lal Qila Maidan, August Park and Madhavas Park.
5. Varanasi Dussehra: Uttar Pradesh, India
Varanasi Dussehra known as Ganga Dussehra celebration takes place for a whole month every year which starts with the incarnation of Lord Ram and ends with the demon king Ravana’s death
The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has recognized the event as an intangible world cultural heritage.
Best Days To Join : on the 8th day.
Highlight of Event: The festivities take place on the banks of the Ganga river in Ramnagar. A special ‘aarti’ takes place in the ghats. People gather with specific ritual acts like taking a holy dip in the river, lighting incense, offering flowers to the river, sing devotional songs and flow earthen lamps in the river water.
6. Kolkata Dussehra, West Bengal, India
The capital city ‘Kolkata’ is decorated with beautiful lightning from twilight till wee hours and dotted with different theme-based pandals. Durga idols worshiped for five days, the celebrations culminate with the immersing of the Durga idols in the river.
Best Days To Join: 5th days of the Dussehra.
Highlight of Event: The various street food, the dance and people wearing traditional wear, the outstanding creativity of the decorated pandals, the rich heritage and culture of the region will engross you over you visit. ‘Rasogolla’, the most famous and most distributed sweet in West Bengal which is distributed on the occasion of Durga Puja.
7. Kota Dussehra: Rajasthan, India
Kota Dussehra gives the traditional attractions having the features costume plays, cultural performances, grand displays of fireworks, and a number of stalls serving lip-smacking food make you feel the essence of rural India.
Best Days To Join: 6th days and add a certain sparkle.
Highlight of Event: Horses, camels and elephants decorated for procession from the Royal Palace to the fairground near to Chambal River. The fair has immense opportunities to have fun – with rides, food, mini games and other attractions.
8. Kulasekarapattinam Dussehra, Tamil Nadu, India
The Kulasai Dussehra is celebrated in the Mutharamman temple, which is about 300 years old and dedicated to Goddess Kali.
Best Days To Join: 7th day of the event
Highlight of Event: The slaying of the demon Mahishasura is done theatrically on the beach. The decoration of is done unique way, so you can taste local food, enjoy the rides and watch the drama unfold.
9. Almora Dussehra: Uttarakhand, India
Almora Dussehra is mostly focus on Ramayana in which the locals take revenge upon the demons of Ramayana and make statues of all the bad characters or villains from Ramayana and parade them across. The parade ends in an open area where the statues are burned to ashes.
Best Days To Join: The 9th day of the festival.
Highlight of Event: The Ramlila happening across all 9 days of the festival, a musical drama with preparations that take place 2 months ago.
Madikeri Dussehra: Karnataka, India
Madikeri Dussehra, celebrations start with traditional and ritualistic karaga folk dances. The celebration here is locally called the Mariamma festival named after the four temples dedicated to Goddess Mariamman. Each temple has its own unique Karaga that is essentially a ritualistic folk dance dedicated to Draupadi.
Best Days To Join: The 9th and 10th day are the most auspicious and totally take over the levels of celebrations.
Hight light of Event: Displays of local artists in a crazy parade, hi-tech mechanical figures of gods, goddesses and demons, the blast of dance and music through loudspeakers and the procession which runs through the entire town.
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FAQ
How is Dussehra celebrated in different states of India?
Every region across the country celebrates Dussehra in its own unique way, Mysuru Dussehra: Karnataka, Kullu Dussehra: Himachal Pradesh, Bastar Dussehra: Chhattisgarh, Ramlilla : Delhi and Varanasi Dussehra: Uttar Pradesh.
In which country Dussehra is famous?
Dussehra festival is the famous in India and Nepal. It is also known Vijayadashami, Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navaratri every year.
Which city is famous for Navratri?
The capital city ‘Kolkata’ is decorated with beautiful lightning from twilight till wee hours and dotted with different theme-based pandals where Durga idols worshiped for five days.