The story of Dussehra

Every autumn, on the tenth day of the bright half of the month of Ashwin, towns and villages across India gather at open grounds to watch a giant effigy of Raavan go up in flames. This day is Dussehra, also called Vijayadashami, and it is one of the oldest and most loved festivals in the country. Here is the story behind it, and why burning Raavan still means so much.

What the name means

The word Dussehra is usually explained as coming from the Sanskrit dasha, meaning ten, and hara, meaning defeat: the defeat of the ten-headed one. Its other name, Vijayadashami, means "the tenth day of victory". Both names point to the same idea that sits at the heart of the festival: good wins over evil, even when evil looks too big to beat.

The story of the Ramayana

The festival comes from the Ramayana, the epic traditionally credited to the sage Valmiki. Shri Ram was the eldest son of King Dashrath of Ayodhya and was loved by everyone in the kingdom. Just as he was about to be crowned, his stepmother Kaikeyi asked the king to keep two promises he had once made her: to crown her son Bharat instead, and to send Ram into the forest for fourteen years. Bound by his word, Dashrath agreed. Ram accepted the exile without complaint, and his wife Sita and his brother Lakshman chose to go with him.

Years later, while they lived in the forest at Panchavati, Raavan, the powerful king of Lanka, decided to carry Sita away. He sent the demon Maricha disguised as a golden deer to lure Ram and Lakshman away from their hut. Then Raavan came to Sita disguised as a wandering sage, and when she stepped out to offer him alms, he seized her and flew off to Lanka. The old vulture Jatayu fought bravely to stop him and was fatally wounded, but before dying he told Ram which way Raavan had gone.

Searching for Sita, Ram and Lakshman found friends in Sugreev, the exiled king of the vanaras, and his devoted minister Hanuman. Hanuman leapt across the sea to Lanka, found Sita in the Ashok Vatika garden, gave her Ram's ring as a sign that help was coming, and set much of Lanka on fire before returning. Raavan's own brother, Vibheeshan, begged him to return Sita and avoid war. When Raavan refused, Vibheeshan left Lanka and joined Ram.

The vanara army built a bridge of stones across the sea, known today as the Ram Setu, and the great war began. Raavan's brother Kumbhakarna and his son Meghnad, also called Indrajit, fell in battle. Finally Ram faced Raavan himself. Each time one of Raavan's heads was cut off, another grew back. In Valmiki's telling, Ram finally used a divine arrow given to him by the sage Agastya; in many popular retellings, Vibheeshan reveals that Raavan's life was protected by nectar stored in his navel, and Ram's arrow strikes there. Raavan fell, Sita was freed, and the war was over. The day of that victory is remembered as Vijayadashami.

A popular tradition holds that Ram, Sita and Lakshman returned to Ayodhya about twenty days later, and that the people lit rows of lamps to welcome them home. That homecoming is celebrated as Diwali, which is why the two festivals feel like one long season of light.

Who was Raavan?

Raavan is not a simple villain. Many traditions describe him as a great scholar, a gifted musician and a deep devotee of Lord Shiva, and he ruled a golden, prosperous Lanka. He was called Dashanan, the one with ten faces. Yet his pride, his desire and his refusal to listen to good advice brought about his fall. That is exactly why his story still speaks to people: it shows how even great knowledge and power can be destroyed by unchecked ego.

Why the ten heads matter

Over time, many teachers have read Raavan's ten heads as a picture of the evils that can live inside any of us. Lists differ from one tradition to another, but they commonly include kaam (lust), krodh (anger), lobh (greed), moh (attachment), mad (pride), matsar (jealousy) and ahankaar (ego), among others. Burning the effigy then becomes more than a re-enactment of an old battle. It is a reminder to look inward and burn the Raavan within. That idea is what Apna Raavan Jalao is built on: you name your own evils, put them on the ten heads, and let them go.

How Dussehra is celebrated

In much of North India, the nine nights of Navratri leading up to Dussehra are filled with Ramlila, open-air plays that tell the Ramayana night by night. On Vijayadashami evening, huge effigies of Raavan, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad, built from bamboo and paper and packed with firecrackers, are set alight with a flaming arrow, often to cries of "Jai Shri Ram!". Families come for the mela as much as for the fire: the food stalls, the giant wheel, the toy sellers and the crowd.

The same day also marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon Mahishasura, which is why in Bengal and eastern India it is the final day of Durga Puja, when the idols are immersed. In Mysuru, the royal Dasara ends with a grand procession led by a decorated elephant. In Himachal Pradesh, Kullu Dussehra begins on Vijayadashami and continues for a week. Many families also perform Ayudha Puja, honouring their tools, books and vehicles, and Vijayadashami is considered a lucky day to begin something new, from learning to write to starting a business.

A festival for a fresh start

Whatever the region, the message of Dussehra stays the same. No evil is too big, no head grows back forever, and every year brings a chance to start again. If you cannot make it to the maidan this year, or simply want to try it for yourself, you can burn your own Raavan here. Not sure how it works? Our How to play guide explains every step.