Dussehra is a very significant festival for Hindus
. It is celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm throughout the country. Dussehra festival is also known as Vijay Dashami. It is a day which is a symbol for the victory of truth over lies, good over evil.
According to the lunar calendar Dussehra festival is observed on the tenth day in Shukla Paksha of Ashwin month. Generally, Dussehra falls in the months of September or October each year. Dussehra festival in the year 2010 is on October 17.
There are a number of reasons for the celebration of Dussehra festival. The most popular reason for the celebration of Dussehra festival in northern India is that on this particular day Lord Rama killed the demon Ravanna for abducting his wife Seeta. It is for this reason Dussehra festival is considered as a day which stands for the conquest of righteousness over wickedness.
Dussehra festival is celebrated by igniting the effigies of demon Ravanna and his brothers Meghdoot and Kumbhkaran. These effigies are made huge and have crackers in them. People start making these effigies many days before the day of Dussehra festival. It is a very significant day of Ramleela' as well.
In other parts of the country Dussehra festival is celebrated for different reasons. In west Bengal Dussehra is the final day of Durga Puja of Navratri (nine days of fasting). On this very day, Durga Visarjan takes place.
According to another story Dussehra festival is taken to be a hopeful time to pray tool used at work. It is done for the reason that, according to the fable in the epic Mahabharata, Arjuna (one of the Pandavas) concealed his weapons in a tree. He returned after a year on the day of Dussehra and found his weapons safe. He then worshiped the weapons and the tree.
Thus, in accordance to every story Dussehra festival will tell again people of the actuality that reality for all time wins and inspires them to go on the course of dharma'. Dussehra festival will be the day to stand for the take-over of good over evil. It is as a result considered as a positive day.