Significance of Dussehra

Dussehra festival holds a great importance for all the Hindus living across the world and has an important significance for them. The festival of Dussehra, marks the triumph of victory of good over the evil. Dussehra is a festival celebrated in varying forms across Nepal and India. It is the largest festival of Nepal, and celebrated by Hindu and non-Hindu Nepalese alike.

The history of Dussehra is an ancient one and has its roots in the maha kavya 'Ramayana'. It is widely believed that the festival actually symbolizes the killing of the great demon king of Lanka, Ravan, by Lord Rama. The epic mentions how Lord Rama, the god-incarnate, went to serve a period of exile for 14 years under the order of his father.

Along with his devoted wife Sita and his faithful brother Lakshmana, Rama faced many hardships during this period prominent among which was the abduction of Sita by the ten-headed Ravana. On a similar day as Dussehra in Treta yug, Ram is said to have killed Ravan, who had abducted his wife Sita. Hindu community celebrates shri Rama's victory over evil. Exact twenty days after the end of the war, Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman returned to Ayodhya. It is the same day on which the festival of Diwali is celebrated. The significance of Dussehra in context of Diwali is thus relevant.

On this auspicious day, people embrace each other and feel the essence and beauty of this incredible festival that silently gives us a lesson that truth always wins and there is nothing powerful than truth. Dussehra also encourages everyone to inculcate human virtues like honesty, truth, responsibility, love and dutifulness in them as Shri Rama is well observed as an epitome of such Qualities.