Dussehra 2024: Significance, Traditions, and Celebrations

Dussehra 2024: The celebration of triumph, Dussehra, has great significance rooted in Ramayana mythology. In Hindu scripture, it is also called Vijayadashami. On this day, good triumphs over evil, and Ravana’s inflated ego is also broken. The Sanskrit term “Dussehra” (where “Dus” means “ten” and “Hara” means “annihilated”) is where the word first appeared. The connotation of “annihilating of ten evil faces with the hand of Lord Ramana” is therefore combined by these two terms. This event has its roots in the classic Hindu epic Ramayana, which tells the story of how Lord Vishnu’s eighth avatar, Lord Ramana, slew the ten-headed demon Ravana during the Satyuga period.

The reason for this is that after kidnapping Lord Rama’s wife Sita, his brother Laxamana, and his pupil Hanuman also abducted Sita during their mission to save Devi Sita. The Hindu literature states that this day also marks the end of the nine-day Navratri celebration. the day that the goddess Durga freed the universe from the evil force after making her final attack on Mahishasur. In Sanskrit, “Nava” means nine, and “Ratri” means night, hence the name Navratri means “nine nights.” And the nine from Shakti Devi are worshipped during these 10 days and nights.

Dussehra 2024: Date and Time

Dussehra 2024 on Saturday, 12 October

Vijay Muhurat – 14:03 to 14:49

Duration – 00 Hours 46 Mins

Bengal Dussehra 2024 on Sunday, 13 October

Aparahna Puja Time – 13:17 to 15:35

Duration – 02 Hours 19 Mins

Dashami Tithi Begins – 10:58 on Oct 12, 2024

Dashami Tithi Ends – 09:08 on Oct 13, 2024

Also Read: https://speaktoastrologer.com/shardiya-navratri-2024-rituals-significance/

Significance of the Dussehra 2024 Festival

Ravana was the king of Lanka. Even though he was a very intelligent man, his arrogance had overcome him, making him believe he was infallible. He represents the ego’s vice. Ayodhya’s monarch was Lord Rama. He was the Maryada Purushottam, living a life devoted to moral principles and dharma. He is the embodiment of goodness.

This celebration symbolizes the ongoing conflict that every man faces between his good and negative traits on the mental, emotional, and physical planes. The ego’s fortress is undermined and shattered when the divine, or the spirit of the Lord, steps into our life. A person is overcome by unconditional love when they give their soul to the Lord. The devotee gains heavenly understanding from this love, which represents the triumph of virtue over evil like how Rama vanquished Ravana.

Dussehra 2024 Celebrations across India

In northern India, followers celebrate the triumph of virtue over evil by dressing in new garments and holding public events on the day of Dussehra. Marked by the staging of a dramatic rendition of Rama’s life tale, known as Ram Lila, Dussehra is celebrated as the end of the nine-day Navratri fast. The effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhakaran, and his son Meghanada are then burned in open areas around the country.

Wearing a crimson saree and donning vermilion, people in the Eastern area of India, which includes West Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha, mark this day as the conclusion of Durga Puja. Bengalis chant folk melodies and submerge the idols of Goddess Durga in water on this sentimental occasion.

Dussehra 2024 Puja Vidhi

Both young and elderly eagerly await the festivities. Children create a statue of Ravana as part of the day’s festivities, while adults get ready for the nighttime puja. The puja vidhi for today is shown here.

• To create a picture of Ravana burning on the floor, use chuna or lime powder.
• Cover the picture with ten cakes of cow poo.
• Present the image with a plate filled with rice, jowar, roli, fruits, and desserts.
• Use Ganga jal, jowar grown during Navratri, roli, chawal, and moli to the worship of the cow dungs.
• Next to the picture, light a Diya and an incense stick.
• Execute the parikrama of the generated image.
• When the puja concludes, give the Brahmins some food and Dakshina.
• On this special occasion, sisters should place a tikka on their brothers’ foreheads and accept presents from them.
• Family and friends gather for a filling dinner after distributing the prasad to each other.