Dasara Puja & Rituals
The Hindu festival of Dussehra is celebrated with religious
observance. The Hindus in India celebrate the festival with great fanfare. The
occasion commemorates the victory of good over evil. Therefore, it is
considered very auspicious by the Hindus.
Dussehra consists of a
number of rituals that are followed strictly by people, since ages. It is
believed that by performing Dusshera pooja correctly, the Almighty showers
blessings on the devotees. While the pooja is performed differently in
different regions of India, the purpose of the people remains the same - to
seek blessings of their deity and ensure health, wealth and prosperity all
through the year.
Puja :
- According
to Hindu Mythology Puja is performed Strictly
- Usually
Preist will perform the Rituals, both men and women can perform the puja
- Pooja
Materials Required are cow dung,
limestone, rice, flowers, kheer and other puja items like dhoop, incense
sticks, deep etc.,
- As
per Hindu Traditions first Ganesh pooja is performed,Two saucers are made
out of the wet cow dung, each used for placing the pooja items such as
coins, roli, fruit, jhuwara and roli.
- The
priest chants mantras and performs the pooja by offering flowers and
prasad to the deity.
- Banana,
jaggery, rice and radish are generally used to offer as the prasad.
- When
the pooja is over, the priest is offered money (dakshina), while the
prasad it offered to the poor.
There is a tradition of offering food to the Brahmins of the
locality. After attending the Dussehra puja, people start their celebrations of
the day. While in north India, they would head towards the nearest Ramlila
maidan. In other parts of India, typically in South India, people would indulge
in the post Saraswati puja celebrations. In West Bengal, it is the time to take
part in Visarjan, the ritual of immersing the idol of Goddess Durga in the
nearest water body, such as river or lake.
Rituals :
Ramlila
A number of customs are common for Dussehra, in different parts of
India, one of them being Ramlila. The tradition of burning the effigies of
Ravana, his brother Kumbhkarna and son Meghnath on Ramlila is followed since
ages, in the northern parts of the country. During the festival, Ramlila is
conducted at a huge ground or 'maidan'. It is a fair, witnessed by hundreds of
people, every year. Oversized effigies (of Ravana, Meghnath and Kumbhkarna) are
constructed a month prior to the festival. They are filled with crackers and
erected on the eve of Dussehra, at the Ramlila maidan.
Artists disguised as Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshman and Ravana head towards the maidan, with the procession of people, amidst the bursting of crackers. After arriving at the maidan, a small drama is enacted by the artists, depicting the climax of the war between Lord Rama and Ravana. As the climax approaches, the artist, acting as Rama, shoots an arrow towards the effigy of Ravana, in order to set it on fire. Subsequently, the effigy catches fire and then bursts. This is witnessed by hundreds of people, who rejoice on the 'defeat' of Ravana by Rama.
Artists disguised as Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshman and Ravana head towards the maidan, with the procession of people, amidst the bursting of crackers. After arriving at the maidan, a small drama is enacted by the artists, depicting the climax of the war between Lord Rama and Ravana. As the climax approaches, the artist, acting as Rama, shoots an arrow towards the effigy of Ravana, in order to set it on fire. Subsequently, the effigy catches fire and then bursts. This is witnessed by hundreds of people, who rejoice on the 'defeat' of Ravana by Rama.
Visarjan Of Idol
In the eastern parts of the country, particularly in West Bengal,
Durga Puja celebrations precede Dusshera. On the tenth day of the Pooja, that
is, the day of Vijayadashmi, idol of Goddess Durga is immersed into the nearby
river or lake, by the devotees. The devotees bid the farewell to the deity very
ceremoniously, amidst a procession that sings Devi Songs and dances to the tune
of dholaks (traditional drums). This custom is called 'Visarjan'. In the
region, Vijayadashmi is celebrated to commemorate the victory of Ma Durga over
Mahishasura, whom she killed.
Vidyarambam
The tenth day or Vijayadashmi is also the day of Vidyarambam (beginning of study) in the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. People in the region worship Goddess Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of Wisdom, on Vijayadashmi. In the morning of the day, after a Puja, the books and implements (such as pen and musical instruments) are removed from the room. Thereafter, literates write a few alphabets on rice or sand and read out a few sentences from sacred books. It is considered auspicious to start learning any art form, such as music and dance, on this day.
The tenth day or Vijayadashmi is also the day of Vidyarambam (beginning of study) in the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. People in the region worship Goddess Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of Wisdom, on Vijayadashmi. In the morning of the day, after a Puja, the books and implements (such as pen and musical instruments) are removed from the room. Thereafter, literates write a few alphabets on rice or sand and read out a few sentences from sacred books. It is considered auspicious to start learning any art form, such as music and dance, on this day.
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