Sorry, you are not allowed to access this page. Dussehra 2024: Date, Puja Muhurat, Rituals, and Significance

Dussehra 2024: Date, Puja Muhurat, Rituals, and Significance of Vijayadashami.

Dussehra 2024
Celebrate Dussehra 2024, also known as Vijayadashami, on October 12. Discover its significance, rituals, and regional celebrations that mark the victory of good over evil, highlighting the stories of Goddess Durga and Lord Rama.

Dussehra or simply Vijayadashami is one among the many most worshiped festivals of India. It falls on the most significant celebrations, marking the victory of good over evil. In 2024, Dussehra will be celebrated on Saturday, that is, October 12th, with great gusto, special prayers, and cultural events to delight the senses all across the land. It is observed on the Dashami Tithi, Shukla Paksha in the Ashwina month of the Hindu lunar calendar. It signifies the culmination of Navratri, full of traditions, spirituality, and religious overtones reminding everyone of the triumph of righteousness.

Dussehra 2024 Date and Puja Muhurat

For those who are viewing the festival, these dates of the succeeding key timings are very important to perform the rituals:

– Dashami Tithi Ends: 13 October 2024, 09:08 AM

– Shravan Nakshatra Begins: 12 October 2024, 05:25 AM

– Shravan Nakshatra Ends: 13 October 2024, 04:27 AM

– Vijaya Muhurat: 12 Oct 2024, 01:30 PM – 02:17 PM

Which in their terms is Aparahna Puja Muhurat on October 12, 2024 from 12:43 PM to 03:04 PM

The Vijaya Muhurat is considered as a most auspicious timing for the initiation of any new projects or rituals, as it embodies victory and triumph. Aparahna Puja Muhurat is the other sanctioned time during which devotees get the scope for saying their prayers and performing the Dussehra celebration rituals.

Meaning of Dussehra

The significance of Dussehra can also be described through its message of hope, virtue, and the final victory of good over evil. Dussehra has an associated relationship with two huge mythological incidences directly in India :

  1. Victory of Goddess Durga Over Mahishasura

Dussehra marks the conclusion of a nine-day battle, especially during Durga Puja, in eastern India when Goddess Durga defeated the demon Mahishasura. Dussehra is an excellent celebration of feminine divine power and the victory of good over evil. This religious episode is quite sacred in West Bengal, Odisha, and Assam as grand statues of Goddess Durga are worshipped and later immersed in rivers depicting her victory and return to her heavenly home.

  1. Lord Rama Defeats Ravana

Dussehra is basically linked to the myth of Ramayana in northern and western India. It’s the day on which Lord Rama, overcoming his wife, Sita, who had been abducted defeated Ravana, the demon king, with support coming from his brother Lakshmana, Hanuman, and an army of monkeys on the tenth day. This victory is remembered through gigantic effigies of burning Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarna, and his son Meghnath representing the victory of good over evil forces. Huge Ravana Dahan functions are held in cities like Delhi, Varanasi, and Lucknow, where hundreds and thousands of people attend.

Dussehra Celebration in India

The Dussehra celebration varies from place to place as every place has its specific rituals and traditions.

Northern India: Ramlila are enactments of the Ramayana and holds an important place in North Indian celebrations. It is performed by player enacting scenes from the life of Lord Rama and culminates with burning effigies of Ravana on Dussehra night. This drama is viewed by thousands by viewing these enactments in cities like Delhi and Varanasi.

The West Zone: In the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, Dussehra is partly fused with the nine-day festival known as Navratri, where lively forms of dance such as Garba and Dandiya Raas take place. Apta tree leaves are exchanged on Dussehra to usher in good fortune to the new home, and the folks of Gujarat carry on with the celebrations through traditional dances and cultural activities by Dandiya Raas.

Southern India: In Karnataka, Mysore Dussehra is celebrated with a majestic procession of elephants, horses, and soldiers. Thousands of visitors throng to see the illumination of the Mysore Palace. Tamil Nadu considers this festival through Golu, which is a beautifully decorated collection of dolls that represent various gods and goddesses. Cultural performances are also an inseparable part of this festival.

It is the most elaborate celebration in states like West Bengal, Assam, and Odisha since Dussehra falls on the days of Durga Puja. After days of worship, the idols of Goddess Durga are finally bathed and immersed in rivers and lakes as her own farewell to end the auspicious period of her victory over Mahishasura.

Special Traditions and Rituals of Dussehra 2024

Dussehra is, therefore, not at all a street frolic but a very highly learned spiritual practice and family rites. Several families have specialized their customs on that day: cleaning and adorning their homes, preparing in new clothes, making festive food, and so on. Flowers decorate the temples, where Lord Rama, Goddess Durga, and other gods and goddesses are worshiped in the hopes of prosperity, peace, and protection.

A special ritual done during Dussehra is that of worshiping a Shami tree. As per the Mahabharata, the Pandavas kept their arms in a Shami tree during the period of exile and came out to defeat the war at Kurukshetra on Dussehra day. So, it continues to be a holy tree, and leaves are exchanged between the individuals with respect and good wishes.

Why Is Dussehra Celebrated?

At its core, it symbolizes the victory of good over evil since it becomes an occasion for self-reflection on the many values that define good virtues in a human being as it is a day for rejuvenation through the virtues of righteousness and spirituality. It always reminds us that truth and justice will triumph when people are in dire need of them. Be it the conquest of Ravana by Lord Rama or the triumph of Mahishasura by Goddess Durga, the festival appeals to people’s hearts to fight evils in them and celebrates the glory of truth.

Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, goes high, deep, and rich in cultural, spiritual, and historical significance in India. The Dussehra 2024 date and time, which includes its puja muhurat, is a sanctifying pointer to all of its devotees so that they can join in religious ceremonies and rituals for the triumph of good over evil. Whether it is the epic of Lord Rama or Durga Puja; Dussehra has always been a moment of solemn reflection, deep celebration and renewal which bonds this country together with all its disparate traditions.

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