Two major India festivals are celebrated in October and November: Dasara (Dussehra) and Diwali. First comes Dussehra.
Dussehra, or Dasara, is a ten-day festival celebrated around India in October. In many parts of India it is also called Durga Puja, or Navratri. This year’s Dussehra is from the 8th to the 17th of October.
The Durga Puja
Durga Puja in Kolkata (Matthias Rosenkranz)
Durga is a powerful and fierce Hindu goddess who killed a demon, Mahishasura – a creature that could not be killed by men. The goddess fought the demon and his army for nine days and on the tenth day, after destroying the whole army, finally killed the demon. The Dussehra festival celebrates Durga’s victory over Mahishasura and in many parts of India the celebrations go by the name Durga Puja.
Durga is a form of Parvati, the wife of Shiva and the representative of the female energy or Shakti. In pictures Durga often has ten arms and sits on top of a lion (or sometimes a tiger) holding a sword, a conch, a spear or a bow and arrow. This website tells more Durga tales.
Different rituals (pujas) are associated with each day of Dasara, including asking the goddess to bless one’s tools of work. Durga blesses everything from the rickshaws of autorickshaw drivers to the knives and forks in restaurants and the tools of a farmer on the field.
The Mysore Dasara
Elephants in the Mysore Dasara Parade (Kalyan Kumar)
In Mysore, in South India, Durga is known as Chamundeswari and her temple on the Chamundi Hill on the outskirts of the city is one of Mysore’s most important tourist attractions. Dussehra celebrations are especially colourful in Mysore where the 10-day event attracts visitors from around the country.
Mysore Dasara celebrations include an extensive cultural programme with classical concerts and much more, and the highlight of the festival is the parade on the 10th day. Elephants that have been specifically trained for the occasion and decorated with gold and jewellery march through the city and carry a statue of the goddess Chamundeswari. If you are planning to visit Mysore during Dussehra, book your accommodation in advance.
Coming up next in the India festival calendar: Diwali
Photos:
Durga Puja in Kolkata by Matthias Rosenkrantz
Mysore Dasara Procession by Kalyan Kumar
A very unique festival i have enjoyed in Rajasthan State of Indiais at the Pushkar Camel Fair, is just an astonishing with 50,000 camels converge on the tiny desert town of Pushkar. For five days, the camels are dressed up, paraded, shaved, entered into beauty contests, raced, and of course traded. It’s a great opportunity to witness an old, traditional style Indian festival. These festivals are never talked much but once you see them you will fall in love with the Indian culture.