Dusshera Mela and Ravan Dahan

Shiv mandir is organizing Ram Leela, Ravan Dahan and Dussehera mela sunday oct 9 2pm to 9pm

Dasaramela

Vijayadashami is celebrated on the tenth day of brighter fortnight the month of Ashwin according to the Hindu calendar, corresponding to September or October of the Gregorian calendar. The first nine days are celebrated as Navratri (Devnagari: नवरात्रि, “nine nights”), culminating on the tenth day as Dussehra.

Since the harvest season begins in India and Nepal at this time, the Durga is invoked by religious rituals to begin the harvest season and renew the fertility of the soil. Many Hindus observe the festival with social gatherings and food offerings to the gods at home and in temples throughout India and Nepal.

Victory of Ram over Ravan
Statue lit up with sparklers at night
Ravana burning in effigy with sparklers in Manchester, 2006

On this day Ram (the seventh avatar of Vishnu) killed Ravan, who had abducted Ram’s wife Sita to his kingdom Lanka. Ram, his brother Lakshman, their disciple Hanuman and an army fought a battle to rescue Sita. The story is recorded in the Hindu epic, the Ramayan.

On the day of Ashvin Shukla Dashami, Ram defeated Ravana and rescued Sita. Based on inferences from Valmiki’s Ramyan, Kālidās’s Raghuvaṃśa, Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas and Keshavdas’ Ramchandrika, Ram, Sita and Lakshman returned to Ayodhya on the 30th day of Ashwin (19–20 days after Vijayadashami). To celebrate Ram’s return, in the evening the city’s residents lit millions of earthen lamps (deepak); the day is celebrated in India as Deepawali (Diwali 2016).

Observers recite Sundar Kaand (the fifth book of the Ramayan) for five days. Yajnas are thought to keep the household clean and healthy. Some perform yajnas and Sandhyavandanam three times a day to keep the heart, brain and digestion balanced in the absence of adequate winter sunlight.

Durga’s victory over Mahishasur
Main article: Mahishasur
Statues of a many-handed goddess with other figures, including Ganesh and a lion
Durga Puja at the Bagbazar Sarbajanin in north Kolkata

Some of the demigods (asurs) were powerful and ambitious, and tried to defeat the devs and capture heaven. One asur, Mahishasur, grew powerful and wreaked havoc on earth. Under his leadership, the asurs defeated the devs. The devs combined into Shakti (a mass of incandescent energy) to kill Mahishasur.

A bolt of lightning emerged from the mouths of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and a young, beautiful female virgin with ten hands appeared. The gods gave her their weapons, and Shakti coalesced to form the goddess Durga. On a lion who assisted her, Durga fought Mahishasur for nine days and nights; on the tenth day, Mahishasur was killed. Durga, as Shiv’s consort, represents two forms of female energy: mild and protective, and fierce and destructive.

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