In another tradition, the festival marks Goddess Durga’s victory over Mahishasura, a powerful demon.
Every year, we celebrate Dussehra by watching the effigies of Ravana burn. In many parts of India, people also celebrate the victory of Goddess Durga over Mahishasura. The celebrations bring colour, devotion and joy.
But I sometimes wonder: after the fireworks fade and the crowds return home, how much of Dussehra’s message do we carry into our own lives?
We cheer when Ravana burns, but I wonder how often we notice the anger, pride and stubbornness we carry into our own homes and workplaces.
To understand why Dussehra is celebrated, we need to look beyond the stories and discover what they can teach us today.
The Story of Rama and Ravana: Why Good Must Stand Against Evil
According to the Ramayana, Lord Rama defeated Ravana, the powerful king of Lanka, to rescue Sita. Though learned and powerful, Ravana’s pride, desire, and disregard for others led to his downfall.
Ravana’s story shows that knowledge and power cannot replace humility.
We face similar choices when we admit mistakes, act fairly, and control our ego. Ravana’s greatest weakness was not a lack of knowledge, but his inability to master himself.
Why Dussehra Comes After Nine Days of Navratri
Dussehra follows the nine days of Navratri, a festival dedicated to the worship of the Divine Feminine in her various forms.
In Gujarat, people celebrate Navratri with energetic Garba and Dandiya dances. In other regions, devotees observe fasts, visit temples and participate in religious ceremonies.
The connection between Navratri and Dussehra reflects two powerful traditions. While many parts of India associate Dussehra with Rama's victory over Ravana, other regions celebrate Goddess Durga's triumph over Mahishasura.
The stories are different, but I see one message in both: strength should protect people, not frighten or control them.
I like the fact that we do not have just one way of celebrating this victory. Different parts of India tell the story differently, and each tradition gives us another way to understand the festival.
What Does Vijayadashami Mean?
Vijayadashami means the “tenth day of victory.” It celebrates Rama’s victory over Ravana or, in many regions, Goddess Durga’s triumph over Mahishasura.
For me, Dussehra is also an opportunity to reflect on our mistakes, mend relationships and begin again with greater kindness and understanding. We cannot change the past, but we can choose to become better people from today. That, too, is a victory.
The Ravana Within Us: Ego, Anger, Greed and Pride
It is easy to recognise Ravana’s evil, but harder to see similar weaknesses in ourselves.
Ego prevents us from apologising.
Anger hurts relationships.
Greed makes us forget our blessings, and pride stops us from listening to others.
These weaknesses often return in everyday situations, even when we believe we have overcome them.
Perhaps the most meaningful way to celebrate Dussehra is to identify one such weakness and make a sincere effort to overcome it.
How Can We Apply Dussehra’s Message to Everyday Life?
Dussehra matters when its lessons change how we live. In relationships, it means choosing understanding over arguments. At work, it means honesty over personal gain. In daily life, it means avoiding gossip, controlling anger, and helping others without expecting anything in return.
To me, goodness shows in everyday actions and how we treat people when nobody is watching.
I cannot change the world alone, but I can avoid adding to its anger and bitterness.
This Dussehra, What Will We Choose to Conquer?
When Ravana’s effigy burns this Dussehra, let us enjoy the celebration and remember the stories behind it. But let us also look inward.
Perhaps the Ravana we need to confront is our stubbornness. Perhaps it is anger we have carried for years, greed that never allows us to feel satisfied, or pride that keeps us from saying, “I was wrong.”
We need not be perfect; we only need to recognise our faults and work on them.
For me, Dussehra is more than remembering Rama and Durga’s victories. It is about learning from them.
The stories are old, but the choices they ask us to make are familiar: tell the truth, control our anger, and do not let pride hurt someone else. The effigy of Ravana may burn in a few minutes. Conquering the Ravana within us can take a lifetime.
Perhaps we celebrate Dussehra every year because we still have much to learn.
For me, this is where Dussehra becomes more than an Indian festival. It becomes a lesson in how we treat our families, conduct ourselves at work, and make the everyday choices that shape who we are.
I’d love for you to follow my blog and join me on this journey. I share my thoughts, experiences, and the brief lessons life continues to teach me. If something I write touches your heart or makes you pause and reflect, you’ll know why I keep writing. Your presence here would mean a great deal to me.
In my next blog, I will try to give you a picture of how Dussehra is celebrated across different states of India.
Other platforms I write on: Medium, Patreon, BuymeACoffee.My Medium Publication
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