It’s raining festivals in October and Dussehra marks the
onset of Diwali preparations weeks ahead. While you have been thinking to enjoy
your day-off with family, it’d be good to revisit the reasons of why Dussehra is a special festival in India, across cast, creed and religion. Our 4 reasons
will definitely enlighten you, so read over:
Good vs. Evil
In Hindu mythology the sacred festival is marked as the day
of Lord Rama’s victory over Ravana and Goddess Durga’s win over demon
Mahishasur. The name ‘Dussehra’ in Sanskrit means the ‘removal of ten’, which
also connotes the death of ten-headed demon king Ravana. During the epic times
of Mahabharata, Pandavas returned from exile on Dussehra and decided to fight a
battle with Kauravas in Kurukshetra.
Story telling
In most parts of India, Ram Lila performances are hosted,
narrating a short version of the epic Ramayana.
Most kids cherish Dussehra holiday, as their day-out to watch Ravana effigies
being burnt with firecrackers, which is metaphorical of ‘Lanka Dahan’ (Ravan’s
Palace being burnt) by Lord Hanuman. So buy some kid-friendly mythological
books for little ones in family, Dussehra tale is indeed a timeless moral
lesson for most kids.
Worshipping
In the olden days, Astra and Shastra (weapons) were
worshipped as a respect to Goddess Durga on Dussehra day. Today, these have
been replaced with tools that are central to our daily lives, helping us
achieve our goals. So whether, its computers, books, vehicles, kitchen items,
any object that helps us earn our livelihood is worshipped on Dussehra with
flowers and tika (red kum kum). Most cultures observe this in India, despite
their respective languages and religion.
New Beginnings
Dussehra is metaphorical for the end of evil and rise of
good, therefore it’s considered an auspicious day for any new venture,
purchases and shopping. They say one
doesn’t really need to refer an auspicious time on Dussehra as the day itself
is holy and prosperous. Most people await Dussehra to buy gold, silver and
vehicles.
No comments:
Post a Comment