Vijayadashami 2019: date, importance, timings, and celebrations

Vijayadashami marks the end of Navratri festival. It will be celebrated this year on the 8th of October. Dussehra is one of the significant Hindu festival that falls after the nine days Durga Puja festival. It is one of the major festivals as it also marks the onset of Diwali twenty days later. The festival symbolizes the victory of good over evil. In the North of India, the festival signifies the victory of Lord Ram over Ravan while in the East it marks the victory of Goddess Durga over Mahishasura.

Here have a look at Vijayadashami 2019 date, muharat, and Significance of the festival

Date and muharat:

This year Vijayadashami will be celebrated on October 8 on Tuesday. The vijaya muharat for the festival is between 2:04 pm to 2:50 pm whereas the Dashami tithi will start on 7th october at 12:37 on Oct 7 and ends at 2:50 pm on October 8. As for the Aparajita Puja the muharat is 1:20 p.m and ends at 3:40 p.m. For Nakshatra update; the Shravana Nakshatra will begin at 05:26 PM on October 7 and the Shravana Nakshatra will end at 08:13 PM on October 8.

Significance:

Vijayadashami or commonly known as Dussehra is celebrated to witness the victory of good over evil. Dussehra comes after the nine days festival of Navratri. Not only that, it is also the day when the idol of goddess Durga is immersed in the water. Many cities, towns in India are decorated with lights for the ten days festival. In North India especially in places like New Delhi, U.P, Bihar, etc the story behind celebrating the festival is that Lord Rama fought Ravan, killed him and brought back his wife Sita back to his home. In the Hindu epic text Ramayana, Lord Ram is the seventh reincarnation of Lord Vishnu. The killing of demon Ravan and winning the battle over him and returning to Ayodhya with his loyal brother Lakshmana and wife Sita marks the occasion of Dussehra. His return with his wife and brother makes a grand celebration for the citizens. The festival is celebrated by burning the effigies of Demon Ravana to celebrate the victory of good over evil. After that people lit fireworks and enjoy the festival with happiness, delight and fervour.

Various legends of Dussehra

Goddess Durga Slays The demon Mahishasura

According to a famous legend, Dussehra is celebrated with utmost religious fervour in Kolkata and some eastern parts of India. It is to witness the killing of the fierce demon Mahishasura by Mother Durga after a big battle. In Kolkata, people pray to the idol of goddess Durga along with performing many rituals and lastly the idol is immersed in the water with ceremony, festive delight and grandeur. The celebrations in Kolkata usually are last four days and the final day is Durga Puja. The immersion of water marks the return of goddess durga to her husband Lord Shiva’s home Kailasha after slaying the demon Mahishasura.

Ram-leela and the Burning Of The Effigies Of Demon King Ravana

Ramleela is enacted by stage artists especially in the North India to relive the delightful moments of the epic Ramayana. The drama is enacted and begins from the story of the birth of Lord Ram, marriage to Sita, kidnapping of Sita by Ravana, the meeting with Sugreeva, Hanuman, to finally fighting with the demon king Ravana and slaying him. Vijayadashami is also celebrated by burning huge, giant effigies of Ravana along with his brother Kumbhkarana and his son Meghanad. The burning of the effigies of Ravana is a symbol of victory of good over evil. After that, people burst crackers and send their wishes on Dussehra.

The Tree which Protected The secret Weapons Of the Pandavas 

There is also another legend related to it coming from the second Hindu epic Mahabharata. This legend has it significance about dussehra in the epic in itself. In the story the five pandavas are exiled to the forest for fourteen years. Each of the brother has a special weapon so all of them hide their weapons in a tree. While they are on their way returning back home from their exile, they find their weapons under the same tree. Safe and protected. Hence, they worship the tree before going back and fighting with their evil brothers and enemies, the Kauravas that they win under the guidance and support of Lord Krishna.

Favourable day for buying property and vehicles

Vijayadashami is also the best day to buy properties and vehicles. As it is the ending of monsoon season which is why it is also called Vijayadashami. In Sanskrit language, Dussehra means ‘remover of bad fate’. This also explains why it is beneficial to buy properties and vehicles. It is said that the day of Dusshera is full of optimism and good luck which also explains the fact that you can buy anything on this auspicious day.

Vijayadashami Celebrations

In different states, the festival of Dussehra is celebrated in distinctive ways. In many states of North India, Ram leela is performed with skits, musical shows and the effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkarana and Meghanad are burnt after that sweets are distributed, and lastly fireworks are burst.

When it comes to south-west part of India such as Maharashtra, Vijayadashami is celebrated with Apta leaves which is also commonly called as Bidi. It symbolises as gold. People also decorate their homes, new cars with mango leaves and garlands of marigold flowers.

In eastern part for instance West Bengal, Bengalis celebrate the last day of the festival as Durga Puja. The joyous celebration begins where married women smear vermilion at each other and also apply to goddess Durga. Overall, Vijayadashami is a festival of joy, happiness and victory of good over evil.

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