10 Facts about Dussehra: Dussehra is more than just a festival in India, as it symbolizes the victory of good over evil.
Lord Rama defeated Ravana, the evil emperor, in an epic battle to bring his wife, Sita, back safely, on that day. The festival signifies that the virtual always wins over the evil.
Hence, Dussehra is celebrated with great joy and it has always been celebrated for centuries. Here are some of the lesser-known facts about the festival of Dussehra.
10 Interesting Facts about Dussehra
1. Dussehra is combined from Sanskrit phrase “Dasha and Hara”. It means the defeat of sun and “The Sun will not Rise”. It is believed that the sun wouldn’t have risen if Rama has not defeated Ravana.
2. Dussehra is also known as Vijayadashmi. It refers to conquer on the 10th day after Navratri that lasts for 9 days. It symbolizes the winning of Goddess Durga over Mahishasura. Goddess killed him on the 10th day after Navratri on lunar calendar.
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3. Mahishasura, being the king of the demons or Asuras, tortured the innocent lives and became very powerful. Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh combined their power and formed Shakti. The battle between Shakti and the demon lasted for 9 days and the Goddess killed the Asura on 10th
4. When the Durga Puja festival ends, Dussehra is celebrated all over India. It is celebrated on 10th It is believed that Goddess Durga visits her home (Maika) during Durga Puja. In order to pay farewell to the goddess, the devotees immerse her idol in the water.
5. It is believed that Dussehra was first celebrated in a grand way at the way back to 17th Century at the King of Mysore’s behest.
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6. This festival is concluded with the effigy of Ravana as it signifies the defeat of all the evils in our soul that are defined with the 10 heads of him. Each of the head of Ravana has a different meaning of the evil – Krodha stands for Anger, Kama for Lust, Lobh for Greed, Moha for Attachment, Swarth for Selfishness, Mada for Pride, Ahankara for Ego, Matsara for Jeolosy, Anyaya for Injustice and Amanavta for Inhumanity.
7. Another unknown and interesting fact about this festival is that it arrives when season changes and hot summer ends and makes its way for pleasant and cool winter. It also arrives during the time of harvesting of the Kharif crops and the beginning of new crop Rabi after Diwali.
8. Along with being celebrated across India, the festival of Dussehra is also celebrated in Nepal and Bangladesh, the neighboring countries. It is also considered as national holiday by Malaysian government.
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9. It is believed that King Ashoka from Magadh was converted to Buddhism on Dussehra. And Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar also converted to Buddhism on the same day.
10. Dussehra is the symbol of power of both Goddess Durga and Lord Rama. It was Goddess Durga who shared the secret to Lord Rama to kill Ravana.
Conclusion
So, these above were the interesting and amazing facts about Dussehra. We hope you liked them!