The Hindu Festivals of Navratri and Dussera
After Nine Nights Victory Over Evil on the Tenth Day
Dussera is celebrated in all parts of India. The festival runs for nine nights called Navratri, followed by the tenth day of Vijaydashmi. In different regions of the country, different legends or rituals have gained prominence and therefore, the Dussera festivities are different. This article provides an overview of some of the more popular Dussera celebrations.
Rama Lila Celebration
The staple celebration of Dussera is the commemoration of Rama’s victory over Ravan. This symbolizes the eternal conflict between good and evil, with good eventually triumphing over evil. After Rama crossed the sea bridge and reached Lanka with his monkey army, he had to fight for nine days against Ravan and his demons. Only on the tenth day was he able to slay Ravan and establish the victory of good over evil. Dussera — meaning "the tenth day" — is a celebration of that victory.
On the nine days preceding Dussera, the entire epic of the Ramayana is enacted in public places. The story begins with Rama’s birth and moves on with his marriage to Sita, his exile and his travails there, the kidnapping of Sita by Ravan, the meeting between Rama and Hanuman and finally the battle with Ravan. On Dussera tall effigies of Ravan, his son Indrajit and brother Kumbhakaran are burned.
The Celebration of Durga Puja
The Bengali community of India has historically and traditionally picked another legend to serve as the basis for its celebrations. In Bengal, the celebrations are known as Durga Puja and commemorate the slaying of Mahishasura by the Goddess Durga. Mahishasura had received a boon so that no man could kill him. Therefore, a female was required to do the deed. The Goddess Durga was created by the trinity of the Hindu supreme Gods Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma. Astride a lion she battled with the demon for nine nights before she finally vanquished him with her trident.
In Bengal, very beautiful idols of Durga are created and established in public places. The whole community worships the Goddess for nine nights. On the tenth day, the idols are immersed in a body of water.
The Mysore Celebration
The battle between Durga and Mahishasura took place near the city of Mysore. Durga is known as Chamundeshwari there and the hill on which the demon was slain is called Chamundi Hill.
Dussera is a big time festival in Mysore. The preparations begin well before the ten-day festival and the merrymaking takes place on an unprecedented scale. It is the official festival of the state of Karnataka and the arts and crafts of the state are on display. The festival culminates in the procession taken to Chamundi Hill. Elephants decorated in exquisite finery form the highlight of the procession. The former royal family of Mysore patronizes the procession. An important part of the procession is the idol of the Goddess being carried on an elephant in a golden howdah.
Garba's Festival
In Gujarat the festival of Navratri is dedicated to the Mother Goddess, who is the manifestation of fertility. Garba actually means "the womb." A pot is used to symbolize the womb. Girls carry beautifully painted pots with illuminated lamps placed inside; they hold the pots as they perform ritual dances.
Today, the dance has become more important than the concept it's intended to symbolize. It is popular in the entire western portion India, where the Gujarati community lives in large numbers. In its modern day avatar, the dance is performed with two sticks held in the hands. These sticks are known as dandiyas and therefore the dance is known as Dandiya Raas.
Mumbai is the financial capital of India and a truly cosmopolitan city. Most of the different ways that Dussera is celebrated in India find expression in Mumbai. Two major, Rama Lilas are held, one of them being on the sea beach known as Chowpatty. The Bengalis living in Bombay celebrate Durga Puja with as much fervor that one sees in Ganesh Chaturthi. The nights of Navratri come alive all over Mumbai with young boys and girls dancing till the wee hours of the morning.
Sources:
- Durga Puja; Accessed at Durga-{uja.org
- Dandiya Raas in Navratri; Accessed at Festivals on ILoveIndia.com
- Festivals; Accessed at IndiaRoom.com
Effigy of Ravan1
|
Effigy of Ravan2
|
Latest Articles