WHY DUSSEHRA FESTIVAL IS CELEBRATED?
MEANING OF DUSSEHRA
Dussehra or Vijayadashami is one of the most popular Indian festivals. Dussehra signifies the victory of excellent over evil, truth over false, and dharma over adharma. The Dussehra festival inspires us to follow the trail of dharma (righteousness) and truth, it reminds us that in the end truth always wins. Other names for the dussehra festival are dashahara and dasara. The word ‘dussehra’ springs from the Sanskrit word ‘dasha-hara” which literally means “removal of ten” lord Rama defeated the demon king Ravana who is believed to have 10 heads. Since this victory (Vijay) happened on the 10th day (dashmi) of the Hindu calendar month, it’s also known as ‘Vijayadashami‘.
STORY BEHIND CELEBRATING DUSSEHRA
It’s believed that all troubles should cease during this period of ten days. In memory of Lord Rama’s triumphant return on the day of Dussehra, the vacation is celebrated mostly in the north and central parts of India.
According to Indian folklore, Lord Rama became an incarnation of Lord Vishnu to guard his devotees against, the demon king Ravana. He tried to abduct His devotee’s wife ‘Sita’ on this very day. Several ancient devotional songs glorify this incident, extolling the grace of Lord Vishnu in protecting His devotee’s wife at this place where Lord Rama stood victorious over Ravana on his way back from his fourteen-year exile. In India, commemorating a big event through an embodiment can have religious significance as well as secular significance. In other words, it can act as a metaphor for God’s intervention in human affairs and may imbue those who experience it with both physical and spiritual strength and grace. Dussehra teaches the lesson of victory of good over evil which is an important lesson for children to learn and to ensure that learning is taught Gnfcs(Guru Nanak Fifth Centenary school) celebrated Dussehra. Different learnings were shared and stories were played. Guru Nanak Fifth Centenary School, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand which is a prestigious boarding school in India ensures to never escape to connect children with their culture.
Dusshera is widely known for Hindu rituals such as worshipping Goddess Lakshmi, decorating temples and houses with rangolis, and distributing sweets. The celebrants also perform pooja (rituals) in remembrance of Lord Rama’s return from his fourteen-year exile. They pray for heavenly grace in order that they may avoid bad deeds during this holy period. They also pray for spiritual wisdom in order that they may use this holy period for a better understanding of their religion and to increase their devotion to their deity.
Dusshera may be a significant festival commemorating Lord Ram’s victory over Ravana and his return from his fourteen-year exile on the banks of the Saravhasha river — it is one of India’s most popular holidays. The vacation has historical significance since it commemorates one of Lord Rama’s incarnations- an important event in Indian mythology. Dusshera is widely known for feasting, merrymaking, and rituals that bring both secular and spiritual good into people’s lives.
LESSONS DUSSHERA TEACHES
Truth & dharma always wins: No matter what the situation is truth or drama always wins the fight.
Dussehra teaches us important things. It tells us that good will conquer evil. People that do good deeds will succeed in life, people that do evil deeds will never succeed and will eventually fail. It tells us the importance of truth and what’s right. Also, it tells us that you simply can always find a light at the end of the tunnel. Goodies and right things always lead to good things.
Triumph of excellent over evil: No matter how much you believe evil is powerful, in the end, good always wins over evil. Don’t let the day of Dusshera pass you by without feeling passion inside you.
Don’t let your ego win: The story teaches that Ravana was a real genius and powerful due to his ego he lost his life till the time he realized his ego already became the reason for his defeat. So, we should always always be humble and modest.
Keep your secrets to yourself: Never reveal your secrets to anyone. Regardless of how close your friends are never share your secrets with them. This is often the story of what happened to Ravana. Ravana’s brother Vibhishan (a devotee of Rama) knew that Ravana could only be killed when attacked on his navel. As a result, Ravana was ultimately defeated in Rama’s battle with Rama on the 10th day when he struck an arrow at his navel.
Never underestimate a standard man: Regardless of how powerful or established, you would possibly be, never underestimate a standard man’s power. In Ravana’s view, any commoner or monkey would do no harm to him. Therefore, when he asked for a boon from Lord Brahma, he didn’t mention humans that could lead to his death. Therefore Lord Vishnu took human form to kill Ravan.
So, Celebrating Dussehra while keeping all these things in mind will eventually lead to a successful and joyful life ahead.
Happy Dussehra
