Come September and an intangible bubbling excitement begins to charge the Indian air. Folks go about their daily chores as usual. But hey, look closer and you’ll notice the little skip in their steps, the wider than usual smiles and basically a general lightness of spirit. Ask them why and you’ll be answered with a blank look.
No, it’s not a secret but just a feeling, the feeling of ‘good times are here again’. It’s festival time; one after another, and the fever is just catching on. The first big festival of the season is Dussehra.
On Dussehra Sri Ram killed the great demon Ravana, who had abducted Sri Ram's wife Sita to his kingdom of Lanka. Sri Ram was a great believer in the powers of Goddesss Durga, and He prayed to Her for nine days before He Himself entered the battlefield on the 10th day.
It is believed that Ravan had 10 faces. They are probably symbolic of the 10 evil facets of his character.
The word Dussehra comes from the word 'Dus' meaning 'Ten' and 'Hara', meaning 'annihilated'. So Dussehra is the day in which the 10 facets of Evil were destroyed.
One must not forget that Ravana was a great scholar and a tremendous worshipper of Lord Shiva. His weakness 'that of wanting to possess Sita' destroyed him. But you will be surprised to learn that His enmity and therefore obsession with Sri Ram fetched him Liberation. Hindu Scriptures claim that you may think of the Lord in whichever way you please, you may pray to Him, complain to Him, talk to Him, Fight with Him...Your obsession with Him will make you a candidate for a Release from the Wheel of Life and Death. It is clearly mentioned in the Scriptures that Sri Ram Himself could not wound Ravana while the latter had his mind fixed on Sri Ram. Ravana's destruction came in, the moment that his concentration was distracted.
On Dussehra day, people worship weapons. Mother Goddess has been worshipped during the preceeding Navratras and She is the Epitome of 'Fight against Evil'. Also, I believe that one worships weapons, to remember to use them in a wise manner.
On Dussehra day, it is customary to exchange leaves of the Apta tree. There is a story connected with the above custom.
Sri Ram’s ancestor relative’s name was king Raghu. He was very generous. After a great ‘Yagna’ (Prayer) the king had distributed all his wealth among the poor.
Raghu had nothing left to give a poor boy, who came to his door step asking for alms. Raghu attacked Kuber, the God of Wealth. As gold rained on earth, some of it fell on the Apta tree. Therefore, since then people exchange leaves of the Apta tree on Dussehra day.
Importance of Dussehra
Importance of Dusshera All that is good in mankind is concentrated in the deeds of the god-king Ram, the ruler of Ayodhya. Lord Rama, the moral man with his moral way of life are the reasons for celebrating India's popular festival of Dussehra and Diwali. Diwali comes exactly 20 days after Dussehra on Amavas (new moon), during fortnight of kartik, some time in October or November.
On the day of Dussehra, Ram, killed the great demon Ravan, who had abducted Ram's wife Sita to his kingdom of Lanka. Ram, along with his brother Lakshman and devoted follower Hanuman, and an army of monkeys fought a great battle to rescue his lovely wife Sita. The war against Ravan lasted for ten days. Sita had been returned to her husband Ram and they now make their way to Ayodhya in triumph and glory. Thus, it is on the Diwali day that Lord Ram, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the Treta Yug, returned to his capital Ayodhya after the exile of fourteen years.
Consequently, to commemorate the return of Ram, Sita and Lakshman to Ayodhya, people celebrate Diwali with the bursting of crackers and by lighting up their houses with earthen diyas. This grand style of celebration have continued, year after year. To this day, the whole of Ramayana is enacted in dramas staged in huge pandals and maidans, in cities, towns and villages, on the occasion of Dussehra and Diwali.