It is a unique festival celebrated all over India. It is very important for Hindus. It is also known as Vijaydashmi (Vijay means victory and Dashmi means tenth day) as it is believed that it was on that day that lord Rama killed the demon king Ravana and rescued to his abducted wife Sita. It is victory over evil.
SIGNIFICANCE
Ramila an enactment of Lord Rama is held during the nine days preceding Dussehra. On tenth day larger than life effigies of Ravana, his son and brother Meghnadh and Kumbhakarna are set to fire. This way people are asked to burn the evil within them and follow the path of truth and goodness bearing in mind the instance of Ravana.
Bengalis celebrates Dussehra as part of their main festival Durga puja. Vijaydashmi is dedicated to mother Goddess Shakti who incarnated in form of goddess Durga ,a combined manifestations of combined energies of holy trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. On this day statues of Goddess Durga are submerged in river waters. The puja is performed with turmeric which makes water purified for farmers and yield better crops.
PURPOSE
Many houses perform Aditya Homas as Shanti Yajna and recites Sunder kandan of Shri Ramayan for 9 days.
The purpose of performing these homas is also to kill and sacrifice ten bad qualities which are represented by ten heads of Ravana are as :
Krodh (Anger)
Moha(delusoion)
Lobha(Greed)
Mada (Overpride)
Matsara(Jealousy)
Manas (Mind)
Buddhi(Intellect)
Chitta(Will)
Ahankara(Ego)
Kama Vasana
