Om! Gam! Ganapathaye! Namaha!

Om! Sri Raghavendraya Namaha!

Om! Namo! Bhagavathe! Vaasudevaya!
Om! Ham! Hanumathe! Sri Rama Doothaya Namaha!

Customs and Traditions of Dasara Festival

Dasara is a major festival celebrated across the country by one and all
irrespective of the caste and creed. It generally occurs during the months of
September – October that coincides with Aaswayuja masam of Hindu lunar
calendar. Nine day festival is known as Devi Navarathri or SharanNavarathri
or Durga Navarathri or Dasara. The festival gets concluded on the 10th day
known as Vijaya Dasami. Though it is celebrated across the country,
different customs and traditions are followed in different regions. Some of
the major customs and traditions are as follows.

While it is generally celebrated for nine days, some people celebrate the
festival for seven days, or five days or three days. The festival of Devi
Navarathri also coincides with Navarathri Brahmotsavam of Lord Sri
Venkateshwara at Tirumala temple. During the nine day festival the Divine
Energies, the Trinal Goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Parvathi are
worshipped in a combined Divine energy form known as Shakthi.

All the Durga/Shakthi related temples especially in South India make out a
grand celebration of Devi Navarathri festival and worship the Goddess
decorating Her in different forms. While there is no standardization of these
forms, mostly the Goddess is decorated as Kanaka Durga, Bala
Tripurasundari, Annapurna, Gayathri, Lalitha Tripurasundari, Lakshmi,
Saraswathi, Durga, Mahishaasuramardhini and Sri Raja Rajeswari during
these nine days. On the 10th day known as Vijaya Dasami the Goddess is
taken out in a grand procession across the streets of the town or village up
to Shami Tree where the Goddess is worshipped as Aparajitha Devi.

At the home front, people keep Kalasha during Navarathri and worship the
Goddess Shakthi according to their sampradaya. In some families there is
also a tradition of lighting a lamp in Pooja room that glows as Akhanda
(continuously) throughout the nine day period. Ghee or Thil oil is used for
this purpose. There is also a sampradaya to worship Lord Sri Venkateshwara
during Navarathri festival. There is also a custom of observing fast during
the days of Navarathri.
During Navarathri period, Parayana (Pravachana) or Sravana (listening) of
sacred scripts like Sri Devi Bhagavatham or Sri Venkatesa Mahatyam or Sri
Mad Bhagavatha Purana or Bhagawadgeeta etc. is considered meritorious.
This is generally organized either at home or at temples. In Durga temples
special Homas are performed like Chandi Homa etc during Navarathri.
Parayana or Sravana of Sri Venkatesa Mahatyam during Navarathri days is
considered highly meritorious as this period also coincides with Navarathri
Brahmotsavam of Lord Sri Venkateshwara at Tirumala temple.

On the day of Moola Nakshatra, Goddess Saraswathi Devi is worshipped in

the form of books. There is also a tradition of performing Aksharabhyasam,
formal induction of a child into learning on this day. It is believed to be an
auspicious day to begin learning any form of education. Basara the temple
town of Goddess Saraswathi in Andhra Pradesh will be full of activity on this
day with thousands of people from various states participating in the
celebrations.

On the ninth day viz. Maha Navami, a ritual known as Aayudha Pooja is
performed, where we find people performing Pooja to their vehicles,
instruments, machinery, tools and implements, weapons, even household
tools, computers etc. Factories also perform Aayudha Pooja to their
machines on this day. This pooja is performed by all those who use the
instruments in one way or the other like hospitals, police stations, shops and
establishments etc. Transport operators perform pooja to their vehicles on
this day and take their vehicles for circumambulation around the Shami tree.
People break Pumpkins in front of their establishments as a mark of getting
rid of the evil. In some regions this ritual is performed on the Dasara day.

In South India especially in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and

Tamil Nadu, Dasara is a grand festival that is celebrated with lot of fanfare
and religious gaiety. At the home front we find people exhibiting colorful
toys during Navarathri day and invite their friends and relatives to their
houses in the evenings. This custom of arranging toys during Navarathri
days is known as Bommala Koluvu in Telugu, Bombe Habba in Kannada and
Bommai Kolu in Tamil.

On the day of Vijaya Dasami, in the evening, people visit Shami tree in their
vicinity along with their family and friends and exchange its leaves as a
goodwill gesture. This ritual is known as Seemollanghana or crossing the
territory where they live.
In Mysore the historical and temple city of Goddess Chamundeshwari, the
seat of one of the Ashtadasa Shakthi Peetas, Dasara is a colorful and grand
festival. Mysore is said to have derived its name from the demon king
Mahishaasura who has been vanquished by the Goddess Chamundeshwari.
A special mention need to be made about the world famous Mysore Dasara
festival. It attracts thousands of audience from India as well as from abroad.
Mysore the seat of erstwhile Wadiyar dynasty, the descendants of Royal
family are still continuing the tradition of Dasara festival. During these
Navarathri days current incumbent of Royal family worship the Goddess
Chamundeshwari on the top of the hills and conduct special Royal Durbar.

Mysore Dasara festival known as Naada Habba is a State festival where

Govt. of Karnataka takes an active part. During these nine days various
cultural programs are arranged including music and dance concerts.
Number of artists from across the country participates in the event. Mysore
Dasara Kusti Spardhe (wrestling bout) is an attraction during Dasara festival
which attracts wrestlers from across the country. A special commercial
exhibition is also held in Mysore city on the occasion of Dasara.

The nine day festival is concluded on the Vijaya Dasami day by holding a
traditional and grand Dasara procession known as Jambu Savaari. During
this event the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari Devi is taken out in
procession seated in a Golden Mantapa (pavilion) mounted on a decorated
elephant. The procession is held in a grand manner like a parade
participated by colorful tableaux, music band, decorated horses, camels and
elephants along with the local citizens and the tourists. It finally culminates
at a place known as Bannimantapa where Shami tree is worshiped. Banni is
a Kannada word for the Sanskrit word Shami.

In Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh a unique custom of worshipping the

Goddess known as Bathukamma is observed. This is a seasonal festival that
is held during Navarathri days participated by Hindu women. During the
festival, women arrange in a plate various seasonal flowers in the form of a
basket and on the top of it keep a Gouri idol made with turmeric powder.
After worshipping the Goddess, women join together and perform dance
around the flower baskets singing local folk songs. Finally they immerse this
flower arrangement in rivers or lakes. Bathuku is a Telugu word meaning life
and Bathukamma means the Mother Goddess, the one who protects the life
of the people. It is a thanks giving festival in honour of the Goddess for
having protected their lives from all evils. This festival gets concluded two
days before Vijaya Dasami festival.

While in South India it is mostly a Durga related festival, in North India and
parts of Maharastra, Vijaya Dasami (Dasara) is considered mainly as a mark
of Lord Sri Rama’s victory over Ravanaasura. It is celebrated by a custom
known as Ramleela. During this ritual large effigies of Ravana,
Kumbhakarna, and Meghanath, are taken out in a grand procession to a
large open ground. After reaching there a skit of Ramleela is enacted by the
artists. At the end of the ritual the people shoot the effigies with arrows and
set them on fire at the time of sunset. The effigies fully covered with fire
crackers catches fire and then bursts. Hundreds of people participate in this
ritual which is also celebrated nowadays even in other parts of the country.
During these nine days many plays and dramas based on the stories of
Ramayana are performed. The place where these effigies are burnt is known
as Ramleela Maidaan.

In West Bengal and Calcutta the seat of Maha Kali temple the festival known
as Durga Pooja is celebrated for four days starting from seventh day. We
find large sized clay idols of Goddess Durga are installed and worshipped
during Durga Pooja. On the 10th day, the day of Vijaya Dasami these idols
are taken out in a grand procession and immersed in holy waters of river
Ganges. Nowadays we find Durga idols being installed even in other parts of
the country also.

In Maharastra on the day of Vijaya Dasami people worship Aapta tree and
exchange its leaves as a goodwill gesture and as a symbol of Gold. Aapta is
Kannada word, commonly known as Sona tree it is called as Katmauli in
Hindi and as Yaamalapatra in Sanskrit. In Gujarat it is a community event,
where people from all walks of life participate in a special celebration known
as Dhaandiya Raas singing songs and performing dance in groups during
Navarathri. Vijayadasami is also celebrated outside India in Nepal and
Mauritius as a major festival.

With its multifarious customs and traditions, the festival of Dasara-Vijaya

Dasami is conveying a message of ultimate victory of Good over the Evil,
unity in integrity, happy and harmonious living of people across the country.

Sri Krishnaarpanamasthu

bhargavasarma