Vijayadashmi, also known as Dussehra, falls on Tuesday, 20 October 2026. It takes place after Sharadiya Navratri. It celebrates nine days of faith, fasting, and garba nights. On the tenth day, Dussehra: dasha means tenth, and hara means defeat. For many families, it’s the day Rama beat Ravana. For others, it’s the day Goddess Durga killed the demon Mahishasura. Either way, the message is the same: that good wins over evil, and that’s why it’s one of the biggest festivals of the year.
History of Vijayadashami
Lord Rama’s story is the one most of us heard first, usually from a grandparent. Ravana kidnaps Sita. Then, Rama, Lakshmana, and Hanuman lead the vanara army toward Lanka in search of Goddess Sita. They fight until Ravana is defeated. That last day is Vijayadashami. Ravana had knowledge of many Vedas, and he was the greatest devotee of Shiv. But his pride finished him.
The other story is Goddess Durga’s. Mahishasur, a buffalo demon, had a blessing that no man could kill him, and he made full use of it. The gods pooled their strength into a new goddess who fought him for nine nights and won on the tenth. That’s why Navratri and Vijayadashami come as a pair.
Vidhi & Rituals
Honestly, Indians worship differently in every home. Some families perform rituals with full traditions and decorations, on a grand level; they invite a panditji. Some nuclear families just light a diya with full faith. Do it like you did when you were growing up. Keep things simple. Clean the worship area. Then, take a bath before worship. Finally, set up the area with a god image or idol.
Place kumkum in front of them. Then, offer flowers and rice, and light a diya. Finally, give fruit and sweets. Then perform aarti with devotion. And take blessings. And distribute the prasad with family members and neighbours.
The afternoon belongs to shami puja. People pray near a shami tree because the Pandavas are said to have hidden their weapons in one during their year in hiding. Then there’s Ayudha Puja, which I love for how ordinary it is. You clean the things that earn you a living and say thank you. A mechanic cleans his spanners, kids keep their school books by the deity, and somebody always ends up putting a garland on the car. In the south, it usually happens a day earlier, on Navami.
How Vijayadashami is celebrated across India
Travel a few hundred kilometers, and the festival looks different. Delhi and the north hold Ramlila, followed by Ravana Dahan. In Kullu, the fair starts on Vijayadashmi and runs for a week, with village deities carried in on palanquins. Bengal and Odisha spend the day bidding farewell to Durga, and married women apply sindoor to each other. Mysuru’s Dasara is over 400 years old and ends with the Jumboo Savari. Bastar in Chhattisgarh celebrates for 75 days with no Ravana at all.
Lessons to learn from Vijayadashami
Rama kept his father’s word, even at the cost of a kingdom. Durga didn’t wait to be rescued. Ravana had skill and wealth and lost anyway. Rama treated Hanuman and Vibhishana as equals. Underneath all of it is dharma. Doing the right thing when nobody’s checking.
Conclusion
This year, Dussehra falls on 20 October 2026. On this day, people watch an effigy burn in a big ground, worship their tools and god. And after that, they eat food with family. Either way, you can choose to drop grudges or bad habits that day. That’s about all the festival asks of you. Burn your inner negativity and open the door for positivity.
Happy Vijayadashmi!