Dussehra – The Victory of Good over Evil

 Dussehra is an important festival in India. It is mostly celebrated by Hindus. Every year it falls in the month of September or October. It is celebrated almost twenty days earlier than Diwali. This festival marks the victory of Lord Rama who symbolizes good over the demon King Ravana who represents evil.

Dussehra is celebrated with great show and joy. In different parts of the country, it is celebrated differently. In West Bengal it is celebrated with the worship of Goddess Durga while in the South, it is celebrated as victory of good over evil.

Dussehra is celebrated for ten days. Preparations for the festival start many days earlier. A big fair is held. Shops and stalls are built near the place where the event is organized. The statues of Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarana and Meghnad are prepared. gam Lila is enacted during the nights. Different events of the life of Lord Rama are dramatized in the Ram Lila. There is great enthusiasm among people who play different characters in Ram Lila. Thousands of men, women and children gather in the Ram Lila ground to enjoy the show.

On the tenth day, there is a great fair. People in large number come to enjoy the festival. Children are particularly in a mood to have fun. There are shops of many kinds. The toy and sweet sellers have a good business on this day. Women can be seen in large numbers around different stalls. Toyshops are crowded with children. Children also buy balloons. Everyone is happy and enjoy their fullest. The whole environment dresses in a festive look.

In the evening, the fair is in full swing. Displays portraying the life and time of Lord Rama are exhibited. The actors playing the role of Lord Rama, Sita mata, Hanuman and Lakshman are taken out in procession. The procession ends in the Ram Lila ground. There is a fight between Lord Ram and Ravana. Ravana is killed by Lord Ram. There is a great rejoice after the act. Then the tall statues of Ravana, Kumbhakarana and Meghnad are set on fire. These statues are stuffed with crackers. They start burning with great bang of crackers. Within no time, the models are reduced to ashes. There is a huge crowd to watch this beautiful sight.

After the end of the festival, people go back to their homes. It is difficult to find way in the crowd. To conclude, Dussehra is a festival of joy and reminds us of the victory of good over evil.