Dussehra: India's Celebration of Good Over Evil

Ramlila nights and Ravan Dahan

For the nights of Navratri, neighbourhood troupes across Delhi stage the Ramlila, retelling Rama's story largely from Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, often performed by family groups who have done it for generations.⁴ On Dussehra evening the story reaches its climax: towering effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad, packed with firecrackers, are set alight after sunset while huge crowds watch from grounds across the city. Committees compete on size; one in Dwarka built a 211-foot Ravana in 2024.⁵

What makes it unique: the Ramlila is on UNESCO's list of humanity's intangible cultural heritage.⁴

The royal Dasara

Mysuru Dasara is Karnataka's Nada Habba, or state festival. Through the festival the Mysore Palace glows with around 96,700 bulbs, a tradition of lighting the palace that dates back to the 19th century.⁶ On Vijayadashami the Jamboo Savari sets off: a lead elephant carries the idol of the goddess Chamundeshwari in a golden howdah of about 750 kg, followed by tableaux and folk troupes, on a roughly 5 km route to Bannimantap. The evening ends with a torchlight parade.⁷

What makes it unique: a city-wide royal procession led by an elephant carrying the goddess.

Durga's farewell

In Kolkata, Vijayadashami, called Bijoya Dashami, is the last day of Durga Puja. After a symbolic immersion ritual, married women offer sindoor and sweets to the goddess and then smear sindoor on each other in Sindoor Khela, a prayer for their families' wellbeing.⁹ The idols are then carried in procession to the river and immersed. The mood is joy and sorrow together: celebration, and sadness that the goddess is leaving until next year.⁹

What makes it unique: "Durga Puja in Kolkata" was added to UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2021.⁸

When the valley's gods gather

In the Kullu valley the festival starts when Dussehra ends elsewhere in India.¹¹ On the morning of Vijayadashami, the chariot of Lord Raghunath, regarded as the ruling deity of the valley, is pulled to the Dhalpur ground.¹⁰ Village deities, or devtas, are carried in on palanquins to pay their respects, and each has its own tent for the week-long gathering.¹¹ The tradition goes back to the 17th century, when Raja Jagat Singh installed the idol of Raghunath.¹¹

What makes it unique: a festival of local village deities, not effigy burning.

Seventy-five days for Danteshwari

Bastar Dussehra runs for about 75 days, with its last four days the most important.¹¹ It honours the goddess Danteshwari and her reunion with her sister Maoli Devi, and moves from Dantewada to Jagdalpur for its closing rituals.¹¹ The former royal family plays a ceremonial role, but the devotees and performers are Adivasi communities who worship their own gods and goddesses, and the processions include a towering wooden chariot (pictured).¹¹

What makes it unique: no effigy of Ravana is burnt here at all.¹¹

A goddess in a new form each day

At the Kanaka Durga temple on Indrakeeladri hill above the Krishna river, Navratri is the year's biggest festival. Each day the goddess is dressed in a different alankaram, a form of the Devi, beginning with Bala Tripura Sundari and ending on Vijayadashami as Rajarajeshwari.¹³ Devotees climb the hill in large numbers to see each form. The festival closes with the Teppotsavam, when the deity is taken out in a decorated boat on the Krishna.¹²

What makes it unique: the daily change of the goddess's form, and her river procession.

Nine nights of Garba, then fafda-jalebi

Gujarat celebrates the Navratri season leading up to Dussehra with nine nights of Garba, danced in circles, and Dandiya Raas, danced with pairs of sticks, in honour of Amba Mata. Shakti temples such as Ambaji and Pavagadh draw pilgrims, and community grounds fill every night.¹⁴ Dussehra itself has its own customs: families queue at farsan shops for fafda and jalebi, many perform shastra and vehicle puja, and Ravan Dahan is held in the evening.¹⁵

What makes it unique: the dancing belongs to Navratri; Dussehra is the sweet morning after.

The Banni festival

On Dasara night at the Mala Malleswara Swamy temple on the Devaragattu hills, the celestial wedding of Malamma and Malleswara Swamy is held at midnight.¹⁶ The idols are then taken out in procession and groups from the surrounding villages clash with long sticks, each trying to take possession of them.¹⁶ Devotees believe it re-enacts Shiva, as Bhairava, defeating the demons Mani and Mallasura with sticks. Lakhs come from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka to watch.¹⁶

Injuries are reported every year and deaths have occurred; police deploy in large numbers.¹⁷ We describe it as culture, not as an event to attend.

What makes it unique: a midnight ritual battle, unlike any other Dasara in India.

Bathukamma, the festival of flowers

Bathukamma is Telangana's flower festival, held over the nine days of Navratri. Each evening women arrange seasonal flowers into tall, layered cones, then sing folk songs and dance in circles around them.¹⁸ The festival builds up to the grand Saddula Bathukamma, after which the flower stacks are gently set afloat in lakes and ponds.^18,19 It leads into Dasara, when families perform Jammi (shami) puja and share its leaves as a symbol of gold.¹⁹

What makes it unique: a festival made almost entirely of flowers and songs, led by women.