Dussehra- a symbol of victory

One of the festivals that mark the victory of good over evil is called as Dussehra or Vijaydashmi. It is the culmination of Navratras in India and celebrated on the tenth day in the Ashwin month according to the Hindu calendar. It is believed that it was on this day that Lord Rama killed Ravana, the demon King of Lanka to rescue his beloved wife Sita, after cutting ten heads of Ravana, on the tenth day of the ensuing battle. Hence, to celebrate the day, colossal effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhkarna and son Meghnath, filled with crackers and surrounded by fireworks, are burnt to signify the end of evil. Besides this, play enactments of Ramayana, known as Ram Leela are also preformed across India preceding Dussehra. These plays are based on the epic Ramayana, which describes the life saga of Lord Rama. The nine days of navratras are the days when the energies of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati are most accessible to us. Shaktis or energy centres are instrumental in opening the three knots — rudra granthi, vishnu granthi and brahma granthi — corresponding to the upper, middle and lower regions of the body respectively, to aid you in your purpose. On the tenth day, we celebrate Dussehra to mark the ultimate triumph. The festival is observed differently in different parts of the country, depending upon the legend that is followed in each region. In North India, Ramlila forms the highlight of Dusshera, while in south India; it is the triumph of Goddess Durga over Mahishasura that is celebrated. Eastern state of West Bengal has its own story connected to the festival, while in Mysore the concept of Shami tree is centered. There are several legends behind the festival. Though they may be different in context, the soul for all of them remains the same – victory of good over evil. On this auspicious occasion we all should also take a firm decision to do always good in life and never allow the evil to lead our soul.