Dussehra- Celebration of The Victory of Good Over Evil:
As the sweltering summer bids good bye and nature welcomes the pleasant Autumn, you know that it is the time of festivals; it is time for Dussehra celebration. It’s time to revamp your wardrobe, time to relish traditional Indian delicacies and it is time for a get together with your loved ones.
History of Dussehra Festival:
So, as you gear up to celebrate this hundreds of years old Indian festival, let us give you a sneak peak into the it’s history.
Dussehra celebrates the victory of Lord Rama over the demon kind Ravana. During the exile of 14 years, Lord Rama, along with his brother, Laxmanaand wife Devi Sita plans to stay at the forest Panchavati. Here Suparnaka, the beloved sister of Demon King Ravana meets Lord Rama and Laxmana and wishes to marry either of them. When denied, she threatens to kill Devi Sita. This angered Laxmana and he cut off Suparnaka’s nose and ears.
To avenge his sister’s insult and injuries, Ravana kidnaps Devi Sita and the brothers challenge Ravana to a battle to rescue her. The day when Lord Rama along with his brother and friend Lord Hanuman won over Demon King Ravana is celebrated as Dussehra Festival.
How Is Dussehra Celebrated Across India?
The importance of Dussehra is just not restricted to South India but is a major part of Indian celebrations across the country.
Navratri:
In few parts of India, like Gujarat the occasion is celebrated as Navratra or Navratri. Devotees fast for 9 days and then celebrate on Dussehra. Garba or Dandia Night, a folk dance of Gujarat is the prime attraction of Navratri. The nine days of Navratri 2020 starts on 17th October and is still 25th October.
Devotees follow a strict diet during this phase and hence you must stock up the pantry accordingly. Rock salt, dry fig, raw peanuts, dry fruits, nuts, seeds to cereals like millet and buckwheat flour, if you are looking for the essentials for Navratri, try out grocery shopping at the online Indian sites, serving USA and Canada.
Vijaya Dashami/ Durga Puja:
On the other hand, in West Bengal, the celebration is bidding goodbye to Goddess Durga who returns to her abode at Kailash after visiting her parents. Popularly called Vijaya Dashami, in Bengal the idol of Goddess Durga and her 4 children (Laxmi, Ganesh, Kartik and Saraswati) are immerses after 4 days worship. Bengalis across the world eagerly wait for Durga Puja. On Vijaya Dashami people deck up in new traditional wear and bid adieu to Ma Durga. After the immersion of the idol they invite the friends and family to treat them to sweets and authentic Bengali delicacies. The online sites can provide with the gorgeous silk brocade and cotton sarees to make you feel like a Diva this Durga Puja; the huge platter of sweets and snacks available from top brands like Vellanki Foods and G. Pulla Reddy Sweets can be the best delicacies you can offer your guests on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami.
Ram Leela:
At present, people in North India celebrate this day as Ravana Dahan in which idols of the Demon King Ravana and his brothers Meghanad and Kumbhakaran are burnt. This is also called Ram Leela.
Now the celebration of this colourful festival is incomplete without shopping and meeting your loved ones. The travel restrictions due to Covid-19 however have put a big question mark on the Indian festival shopping for this year. So, what is the solution? Try out Dussehra online shopping. The online Indian sites at Canada and USA can help you get all the utilities you need for Dussehra shopping. From traditional women clothes and men clothes, Indian jewelry to food items, you can get everything delivered at your doorsteps.
Dasara Festival:
The Dasara celebration at Tamil Nadu needs special mention here. Also termed as Kulasekarapattinam Dasara, this festival is celebrated around the Mutharammam Temple, the hotspot of dance, drama and music at the state.On the 10th day of Navratri people gather around the temple to celebrate Dasara. In this festival people them guise as Goddess Kali and dance around the temple.
Golu Bommai Festival:
An integral part of nine days of Navratri celebration is the Golu Bommai festival. Specially celebrated in South India, this festival the idols representing different characters from the Hindu mythology are arranged on a shelve for display. Devotees visit each other’s house on the occasion to checkout the idols. They also exchange sweets and gifts on the occasion. Now Golu Bommai online shopping is available at the Distacart online shopping site. You can also find a wide array of return gifts and sweet boxes that you can exchange on this occasion.