Dussehra / Vijayadashami 2026

Ashwin Shukla Dashami — Vijayadashami, yaani jeet ka din. Is din ki sabse mashhoor kahani Ramayana se judi hai: Lanka ka raja Ravan, jise apne gyaan aur shakti ka ahankaar tha, usne Sita ka haran kar liya tha. Bhagwan Ram ne vanvaas ki kathin paristhitiyon mein bhi dhairya nahi khoya — unhone vanaron ki sena jutai, samudra par setu bandhwaya, aur nau din tak chale bhayankar yuddh ke baad Dashami ke din Ravan ka vadh kar diya. Ye jeet sirf ek yuddh ki nahi thi; ye maryada ki ahankaar par, dhairya ki jaldbaazi par, aur dharm ki adharm par jeet thi. Isiliye Dussehra har saal yaad dilata hai ki burai kitni bhi takatwar lage, ant mein achchai hi jeet-ti hai.

Is din ki doosri badi parampara Ravan dahan hai. Shahron-kasbon mein mele lagte hain, Ravan-Meghnad-Kumbhkaran ke vishaal putle khade kiye jaate hain, aur shaam ko unmein aag laga di jaati hai. Jaise hi putle jalte hain, bheed mein seetiyan aur taaliyan goonjti hain — bachche is pal ka saal bhar intezaar karte hain. Ravan dahan ke peeche sandesh saaf hai: apne andar ke ahankaar, aalas aur buri aadaton ko bhi isi aag mein jala do.

Dakshin Bharat mein Dussehra ka rang alag hai — Mysuru ka Dussehra duniya bhar mein mashhoor hai, jahan Chamundeshwari Devi ki sawari nikalti hai aur mahal roshni se jagmagata hai. Kullu mein Dussehra ek hafte tak chalta hai, jahan aas-paas ke devtaon ki palkiyan ikatthi hoti hain. Maharashtra mein is din aapti ke ped ke patte — sone ke patte kehkar — ek doosre ko diye jaate hain, samriddhi ki kamna ke saath.

Dussehra ko abujha muhurat bhi maana jaata hai — yaani bina muhurat dekhe naye kaam ki shuruaat ke liye shubh din. Isiliye kai log isi din nayi dukaan kholte hain, naye auzaar kharidte hain, ya bachchon ko padhai ki shuruaat karwate hain. Shastra puja — apne auzaar, vaahan, kitab ya hathiyar ki puja — is din ki prachin parampara hai, jo kehti hai: jis se rozi-roti chalti hai, uska sammaan karo. Subah Devi Aparajita ki puja hoti hai, vijay ki devi se aashirvaad manga jaata hai, aur shaam ko neelkanth pakshi ke darshan ko shubh maana jaata hai.

Dussehra ke din ghar-elu paramparaon ka bhi apna mahatva hai. Kai parivaron mein is din bachchon ko pehli baar kalam pakdayi jaati hai — akshar aarambh — kyunki vijay ka din gyaan ki shuruaat ke liye sabse shubh maana jaata hai. Dukaandaar apne tarazu-bahi ki puja karte hain, kisan apne hal-bail ko sajate hain. Aur shaam ko jab Ravan ka putla jalta hai, to buzurg bachchon ko samjhate hain: Ravan vidwan tha, balwaan tha, par ahankaar ne use le dooba — isiliye Dussehra sirf Ravan ke jalne ka din nahi, apne ahankaar ko pehchanne ka din hai. Jeet bahar nahi, andar hoti hai.