Navratri & Dussehra

Beginning from the first day of the bright fortnight of Ashwin (according to Hindu calendar and usually falls in October), the festival of Navratri lasts for nine nights. This festival is dedicated to the worship of Mother Goddess and her nine forms. People sow seeds on the first day, consecrate the planets, watch the sprouting and worship Goddess Durga during this festival. The last three days are especially considered most important. Devotees recite Devi Mahatmya in the praise of the Goddess. On the tenth day, Dussehra or Vijayadashmi is celebrated to commemorate the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana and the large effigies of the demon-king Ravaha, his huge brother Kumbhkaran and his son Meghnad are burnt as symbolic of getting rid of evils from the world. These effigies have fireworks are burnt by a character playing Lord Rama in the Rama Leela who shoots the burning arrows on the effigies.

Navratri in Gujarat holds a special significance and the Rasa and Garba dances by men and women of all sects to please the Goddess. The Rasa has its origin in the life scenes of Lord Krishna and is associated with the agricultural rites while Garba is performed only by men and is related with the fertility cult or the mother aspect of Navratri. In northern India, rigorous fasts are observed during Navaratri followed by celebrations on the tenth day while in western India, both men and women participate in special dances for the day. In the south, Dusshera is very popular while in the east, the seventh to the tenth days of Durga Puja are celebrated with much vigor and enthusiasm. Besides the Garba Dance of Gujarat, the most popular events on the auspicious occasions of Navratri are Ramlila of Varanasi, Dusshera of Mysore and Durga Puja of Bengal.