Dussehra – India’s most prominent Hindu festivals
Dussehra, also called Vijayadashami, is one of the most widely celebrated Hindu festivals in India. It falls on the tenth day after the nine nights of Navratri, in September or October, and it marks the victory of good over evil. In north India, huge effigies of the demon king Ravana go up in flames as crowds cheer. In Bengal and the east, the day closes Durga Puja with the farewell of the goddess. In Mysuru and Kullu it brings famous processions. This post explains what the festival means, the stories behind it and how different regions celebrate it.
Our old post on this topic was short and contained a few claims we could not verify. We have rewritten it in plain English and checked the details against standard references.
Table of Contents
What Does Dussehra Mean?
The formal name, Vijayadashami, joins two Sanskrit words. Vijaya means victory, and dashami means the tenth day. So the name means the victory on the tenth day. The popular name Dussehra, also written Dasara, is often explained as the defeat of Ravana, the ten headed king of Lanka. In Nepal the festival is called Dashain.
When Is Dussehra Celebrated?
Dussehra falls on the tenth day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Ashvin. It comes right after Navratri, the nine nights of worship of the goddess Durga, which is why the two festivals are so closely linked. Read more in our post on the Navratri festival.
In 2026, Dussehra falls on Tuesday, 20 October in most of India. Bengal, Odisha and parts of the east mark Bijoya Dashami a day later, on 21 October, because they count the lunar day differently.
The Story of Rama and Ravana
In north, central and western India, Dussehra celebrates the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana, as told in the Ramayana. Ravana had carried away Rama’s wife Sita to Lanka. Rama, with his brother Lakshmana, the devoted Hanuman and an army of monkeys and bears, crossed the sea and fought a long war to rescue her. On the tenth day Rama killed Ravana, and good triumphed over evil.
In Bengal there is also a popular tradition that Rama worshipped Durga before the final battle, out of the usual season. This is one reason Durga Puja in Bengal is sometimes called Akal Bodhan, the untimely awakening of the goddess.
The Story of Durga and Mahishasura
In the east, the south and the north east, Vijayadashami marks the victory of Goddess Durga over Mahishasura, a buffalo demon who had defeated the gods. After nine days and nights of battle, Durga killed him on the tenth day and restored order to the world. The nine nights of Navratri honour the goddess through this struggle.
A Story From the Mahabharata
The Mahabharata gives the day another meaning. During their final year of exile, the Pandava brothers hid their weapons in a Shami tree. When the Kauravas attacked the kingdom where they were hiding, Arjuna took back his weapons from the tree and defeated the Kaurava army. This is why the Shami tree is honoured on Dussehra in many places.
Ramlila and the Burning of Ravana
In much of north India, Dussehra is the climax of Ramlila, a folk drama that acts out the story of Rama. Local groups stage it over the nine nights of Navratri, often in open grounds, with neighbours helping with the stage, costumes, lights and effigies. Most Ramlilas follow the Ramcharitmanas, the sixteenth century retelling of the Ramayana by the poet Tulsidas. In Varanasi, the story is performed every evening for about a month.
On the evening of Dussehra, huge effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarna and his son Meghnad are set alight, often packed with fireworks. The burning shows the end of evil. In 2008, UNESCO added the Ramlila tradition to its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
How Dussehra Is Celebrated Across India
West Bengal and the East
In West Bengal the day is called Bijoya Dashomi and comes right after the last day of Durga Puja. Clay images of Durga and her children, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya, are carried in processions with drums and music and immersed in rivers or ponds. Married women smear one another with sindoor, the red powder, and families visit relatives to share sweets and greetings. Our post on Durga Puja in West Bengal tells the full story.
Mysuru, Karnataka
Mysore Dasara is the state festival of Karnataka. The tradition goes back to the Vijayanagara Empire, where the festival was called Mahanavami, and it was continued by the Wodeyar kings from 1610. For the ten days of the festival, Mysore Palace is lit with nearly one hundred thousand bulbs every evening. On the final day, an image of Goddess Chamundeshwari is carried through the city on a decorated elephant, seated in a golden mantapa that holds around 750 kilograms of gold. Music, dance and cultural shows are staged in front of the lit palace on every evening of the festival. Plan your visit with our guide to Mysore Palace.
Across Karnataka, people also exchange Shami leaves as a symbol of gold on the evening of the tenth day.
Kullu, Himachal Pradesh
Kullu Dussehra is different from most others. It begins on Vijayadashami itself and goes on for seven days at the Dhalpur ground in the Kullu valley. Its history goes back to the seventeenth century, when Raja Jagat Singh placed an image of Raghunath, a form of Rama, on his throne. Today, deities from villages across the valley are carried to Kullu in a great procession, and the fair draws several lakh visitors.
The South and Kerala
In many southern homes, families set up displays of dolls during Navratri, known as Gombe Habba in Karnataka. In Kerala and Karnataka, Vijayadashami is a lucky day to begin learning, so many young children are formally admitted to school on this day. At Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu, large crowds gather to watch Mahishasura Vadham, a ritual retelling of Durga’s victory.
Gujarat and Rajasthan
In Gujarat, the nine nights before Dussehra are famous for garba and dandiya dances. In the Mewar region of Rajasthan, the day has long honoured both Durga and Rama and was an important festival for Rajput warriors.
Ayudha Puja: Honouring Tools and Work
Around the last days of Navratri and on Dussehra, many people across India perform Ayudha Puja, the worship of tools and weapons. In earlier times, warriors cleaned, decorated and prayed over their weapons, offering thanks to the goddess. Today farmers, carpenters, smiths, potters, shopkeepers and office workers do the same with their machines, tools, account books and vehicles. Students place their books before the goddess. The idea is simple: the things that help us earn a living and learn deserve respect.
Dashain in Nepal
In Nepal, the festival is called Dashain and is the longest and most important Hindu festival of the year. It is observed over fifteen days. Barley seeds are sown at the start, and by the tenth day they grow into yellow shoots called jamara. On Vijayadashami, elders place a red tika and jamara on the foreheads of younger relatives as a blessing.
Why Dussehra Still Matters
Dussehra carries a message that is easy to understand at any age. Pride, cruelty and greed may seem strong for a while, but courage, patience and right action win in the end. The festival also brings whole neighbourhoods together, as people work side by side on Ramlila stages, pandals, effigies and fairs.
Customs and Food
- People wear new clothes and visit family and friends.
- Many families clean and worship their tools, books and vehicles as a sign of respect for their work.
- Those who have fasted during Navratri usually end their fast around Navami or Dussehra, depending on family custom.
- Sweets are made and shared, and community fairs offer food stalls, rides and music.
From Dussehra to Diwali
Dussehra also opens the festive season. Diwali, the festival of lights, comes about twenty days later. In north India this is linked to Rama’s return to Ayodhya after his victory. Read more in our post on Deepawali.
What We Changed From the Old Post
We rewrote the post in plain English and expanded it into a full festival guide.
We corrected the meaning of the name. Vijayadashami means the victory on the tenth day. We dropped claims we could not confirm, such as the festival being celebrated in Sri Lanka and a harvest blessing story from Nepal. We replaced them with sourced details about Dashain.
We added the 2026 date, the Mahabharata story, Ramlila and its UNESCO listing, and regional traditions from Bengal, Mysuru, Kullu, the south and Nepal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Dussehra celebrated?
It marks the victory of good over evil, through Rama’s defeat of Ravana and Durga’s defeat of Mahishasura.
When is Dussehra in 2026?
On Tuesday, 20 October 2026 in most of India, and on 21 October in Bengal and Odisha.
What is the difference between Dussehra and Vijayadashami?
They are two names for the same festival held on the tenth day after Navratri.
How many days after Dussehra is Diwali?
Diwali usually falls about twenty days after Dussehra.