Dussehra marks the end of the Navratri and this is the time when preparations for Diwali begin. As per the Hindu calendar, Dussehra is celebrated on the 10th day of the Shukla Paksh (bright half) in the month of Ashvin (between September and October) according to the western calendar) every year.
This year Dussehra is on Friday, October 19, 2018.
Dussehra is the 10th day that culminates the Navratri. Each and every day has its own significance and importance. Each day is devoted to different god and goddess and rituals are performed to invoke those gods on these particular days.
10 days of Dussehra
The first three days are devoted to Goddess Durga, also known as Kali who is the spiritual force. She is worshipped and invoked in order to destroy all our impurities and evil aspects.
The next three days are devoted to the Goddess of wealth and prosperity, Goddess Lakshmi to bestow on her devotees inexhaustible wealth.
The last three days are devoted to Goddess of wisdom, Goddess Saraswati to seek her blessings in order to achieve success in all spheres of life with intelligence and wisdom.
The eighth day is known as 'Durgashtmi', which is mainly celebrated in Bengal. Beautiful congregations are setup for public prayers and rituals.
On the ninth or the eighth day, 'Kanya Pujan' is held wherein pre-pubescent girls are invited to houses and for feats and are worshipped.
The ninth day is basically devoted to the Sraswati puja and the tenth day is known as 'Vijayadashmi'. On this day effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkarana and Meghnatha are burnt in public 'Ramlila' to mark the death of the evil.
Dussehra Calendar for 10 years
Year |
Date |
| 2011 | 6th October, Thursday |
| 2012 | 24th October, Wednesday |
| 2013 | 14th October, Monday |
| 2014 | 4th October, Saturday |
| 2015 | 22nd October, Thursday |
| 2016 | 11th October, Tuesday |
| 2017 | 30th September, Saturday |
| 2018 | 19th October, Friday |
| 2019 | 8th October, Tuesday |
| 2020 | 25th October, Sunday |
Last Updated on : October 12, 2018
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