Indians celebrate Dussehra with pomp and fervour

Festival symbolises triumph of good over evil

A Hindu devotee parks his decorated tractor outside a temple amid Dussehra celebrations in Bangalore. AFP

Millions of Indians are celebrating Dussehra — the Hindu festival to mark the victory of good over evil — on Wednesday after a two-year pandemic lull.

Dussehra is marked on the tenth day of Navratri, when people worship Goddess Durga for nine days to celebrate her victory over Mahisasur, a half-man, half-buffalo demon.

People visit family and friends and exchange sweets and gifts.

Women from the Bengali and Assamese communities and neighbouring Odisha and Jharkhand states also play shindur khela, meaning “vermilion game”, in which they smear each other’s faces with vermilion and bid farewell to the goddess.

Hindu woman smear vermilion on each other's faces before the immersion of the Goddess Durga in Mumbai on Wednesday. AFP

The day also marks Lord Ram’s victory over the powerful 10-headed demon king Ravan, who had abducted his wife Sita, after ten days of fighting.

The festival symbolises the triumph of good over evil and Hindus celebrate the day by burning effigies of the demon king, his brother Kumbhakaran and son Meghand, across the country as large crowds gather to watch the spectacle.

A woman watches a play based on the life of Lord Ram during Navratri celebrations in Delhi. Reuters

In the northern city of Chandigarh, a 27-metre effigy of Ravan has been set up. Traditionally, the effigies are filled with firecrackers. But restrictions on the toxic crackers, which cause pollution, mean a laser show has been arranged for the event this time.

In the western state of western Rajasthan, a 22-metre eco-friendly effigy has been erected. More than 4,000 people are expected to witness the moment the effigy is set on fire.

In Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram, in Uttar Pradesh, grand effigies will be burnt in the presence of regional celebrities and politicians.

Large fairs have also been organised in the capital New Delhi to celebrate the day in a grand manner.

Dussehra also marks the beginning of preparations for Diwali — the festival of lights — which is celebrated 20 days later to commemorate the return of Lord Ram, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshman to Ayodhya after killing Ravan.