Dussehra

While in certain parts of India the cult of the Mother Goddess is strong and Navratri celebrations culminating in Vijayadashami take preceedence over other festivities, in other parts of India Dussehra celebrations are given more importance. Ramalila, the life of Rama as portrayed in the Ramayan is enacted for nine days. Jhankis (tableaux) are taken out in procession, showing on each day one stage of Rama’s life. On the tenth day, massive effigies of Ravana, his younger brother Kumbhakarna and son Meghanatha (Indrajit) are erected, stuffed with fire-crackers and set aflame at sundown. The fire is triggered by an arrow shot by the man playing Rama and thus evil in the form of Ravana is destroyed. See the page on Vijay Dashami - victory of Rama for more on this.

In Kulu, Himachal Pradesh, Dussehra takes place three days later. The reason for this goes back to the time of Maharaj Ranjit Singh, the ruler of the Punjab. The hill states of Punjab, now in Himachal Pradesh were under the court at Lahore. The Maharaj expected all his tutelary kings to be present at his court during the Dussehra celebrations. The rulers with their retinues would mount their horses immediately after the celebrations were over at Lahore (presently in Pakistan), and speed back to their hill kingdoms to celebrate Dussehra there. It took them three days to reach their states. And since then the custom of celebrating Dussehra three days late has continued.

Here the unique feature of the festival is that instead of burning effigies of Ravana and his brothers Kumbhakarna and Meganatha as in other places, instead five animals -  a cock, a fish, a lamb, a crab and a buffalo – are sacrificed and a pile of wood is burnt seven days later to symbolise the victory of good over evil. Why, we could not find out, even such sacrifice is not sanctioned in this age, still it goes on.

Tastefully decorated idols of village dieites from all over the valley are brought in palanquins to the venue of the festival. The main goddess Hidimbaa (Hidimbi), a form of Durga, demon wife of Bhima and mother of Ghatokacha, is brought in procession from the pagoda structure temple at Dhungri in Manali. The procession is led by musicians and dancers performing the Nati dance which is very popular.

A large fair organised during the celebrations offers the visitors a glimpse of the traditional culture of the distant tribal areas of Lahaul and Spiti, Pangi, Pin and Parvati. Since these areas get snowbound about twenty days later the fair provides the people living across the Rohtang Pass an opportunity to purchase their essential provisions for the long winter months when they are forced to remain indoors (possibly this is where the sacrifice of animals comes in, as for some in these remote and hardy lands they are their livelihood and food).

In Karnataka (South India) lemons are placed on the road in front of the wheels of cars, buses, scooters and the vehicles driven over them. It is also a symbolic representation of sacrifice whereby dhrishti, inauspiciousness is removed. Also, a slit is made in a big gourd and vermilion is spirinkled on it, then the gourd is crushed and the red extract is sprinkled on all vehicles as a symbol of sacrificial blood. Such symbolic sacrifice in this age is prefered to causing harm to other living beings. In Karnataka the great devotee Ananda Tirtha - Madhwacharya fought hard in the 13th century to replace animal sacrifices with such symbolic representations after being instructed to do so by the son of Saci, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as mentioned in Bhavishya Purana, Pratisarga parva, Kali yuga khanda 19th chapter and similarly recorded in his establishment of offerings through the mantra idam krishnaya idan na mama (Sumadhwa Vijay).

Dussehra, associated with the burning of Ravana’s effigy, is a public celebration. In homes, the most important article of the household is kept in the place of worship. For instance, the farmer puts his plough; the housewife her churning rod; the weaver his spinning wheel; the soldier his weapons and so on. On the first day of the ten-day festival of navaratri and Dussehra, grains of barley are planted. On the last day, the nine-day old shoots called noratras are placed on the articles to be worshipped along with grains of rice and vermilion poder, all fertility symbols. Noratras are also put on the caps of men, behind their ears, and in books to bring good luck. Sisters apply a tilak (vermilion mark) on the forehead of brothers and put noratras behind their ears and bless them. The head of the family writes down the names of all the family members present on this occasion. It is a method of keeping a record of the family geneaology. Depending upon the family’s profession, the current prices are noted down, for instance the goldsmith writes the prevalent prices of gold and silver and the farmer the price of grains and so on. Soon after this festival, the sugarcane crip is harvested, and the winter crops sown (northern hemisphere). (much taken from Shakti M Gupta. 1991. Festivals, Fairs and fasts of India. Pages 124-128.)