User talk:Simhika

DUSSEHRA India is known as a land of festivals and celebrations. Dussehra, is a one of the most celebrated festival in hindu religion. There are two significance for this festival are One story is associated with Lord Ram and another is associated with Goddess Durga. The festival of Dussehra signifies the victory of good over evil. Read on to know more about the significance and celebration of Dussehra festival. The festival continues for ten days and Dussehra is the tenth day. Many of the Hindu festivals are related to great epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata and Dussehra is one of the main ones. In fact it is believed that the war between Ram and Ravana went on during these 10 days and Ravana was killed by the hands of Ram on the tenth day. Dussehra is also called Vijayadashami and is celebrated as victory of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahisasura. The festival of Dussehra falls in the month of September or October of the English calendar. In fact, the main message that it gives is victory of good over the evil and success of truth over lies. Vijaya Dashami also known as Dasara, Dashahara, Navaratri, Durgotdsav… is one of the very important & fascinating festivals of India, which is celebrated in the lunar month of Ashwin (usually in September or October) from the Shukla Paksha Pratipada (the next of the New moon day of Bhadrapada) to the Dashami or the tenth day of Ashwin. This festival is celebrated not only in India but in almost all eastern countries like Java, Sumatra, Japan etc... Dasara is Nepal’s national festival.

Word DASARA is derived from Sanskrit words “Dasha” & “hara” meaning removing the ten (10). Dasara is also known as Navaratri, as in the first nine days the Divine Mother Goddess Durga is worshipped and invoked in different manifestations of her Shakti. The 10th day is in honor of Durga Devi. The basic purpose behind this festival is to worship feminine principle of the Universe in the form of the divine mother to remind the teachings of the Taitareeya Upanishad, "Matru Devo Bhava." Essence of the navaratri celebration at social level is to remind & respect all the women, who are the guardians of the family, culture, and national integrity, to take lead in times of crisis to guide the humanity towards the path of social justice, righteousness, equality, love, and divinity. According to legend, Rama was the eldest son of King Dashrath and was beloved of all because of his genial ways. The king decided to hand over his throne to him and retire. However, Rama's stepmother wanted her own son Bharata to be the king and forced the king to banish Rama from Ayodhya, the kingdom and give him fourteen years of exile. Rama gladly accepted the stepmother's wishes and left the palace and the kingdom with his wife Sita, and brother Lakshmana. The grief-stricken father soon died. However, when Bharata who was on a visit to his maternal grandfather came back and came to know what his mother had done, he immediately set out to being his brother back from the forest. "However, though Rama was glad to welcome his brother, he refused to go back to the kingdom before the term expired. However, Rama had another loss at hand as the demon-king Ravana, kidnapped his wife Sita and took her away to his kingdom. This became the reason behind the long search and the various events that in time, led to the destruction of Ravana by the hands of Ravan with the help of the monkey army he had befriended on the way. Dussehra is the day, when Rama killed Ravana and won back his wife (Hence also called Vijayadashmi) who had managed to save her honor from the dirty hands of Ravana.    According to Hindu mythology a demon named Mahishasura, earned the favor of Lord Shiva after a long and hard penance. Lord Shiva, impressed with his devotion, blessed him that no man or deity would be able to kill him and that only a woman can kill him. Mahishasur was very pleased with this boon as he thought that a woman can never defeat him. Arrogant Mahishasura started his reign of terror over the Universe and people were killed mercilessly. He even attacked the abode of the gods and conquered the heavens and became their leader. THE DEFEAT OF GODS After their defeat and humiliation at the hands of Mahishasur, the gods took refuge under Lord Brahma, who took them to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. The only solution left was the creation of a woman who possess the ultimate power to fight and defeat Mahishasur. Pure energy blazed forth from Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - the trinity forming the pure energy of Godhood, all concentrating at one point that took the form of Goddess Durga. CULMINATION OF ENERGIES Her face reflected the light of Shiva, her ten arms were from Lord Vishnu, her feet were from Lord Brahma, the tresses were formed from the light of Yama, the god of death and the two breasts were formed from the light of Somanath, the Moon God, the waist from the light of Indra, the king of gods, the legs and thighs from the light of Varun, the god of oceans and hips from the light of Bhoodev (Earth), the toes from the light of Surya (Sun God), fingers of the hand from the light of the Vasus, the children of Goddess river Ganga and nose from the light of Kuber, the keeper of wealth for the Gods. The teeth were formed from the light of Prajapati, the lord of creatures, the Triad of her eyes was born from the light of Agni, the Fire God, the eyebrows from the two Sandhyas,ie, sunrise and sunset, the ears from the light of Vayu, the god of Wind. Thus from the energy of these gods, as well as from many other gods, was formed the goddess Durga. POWER OF WEAPONS The gods then gifted the goddess with their weapons and other divine objects to help her in her battle with the demon, Mahishasura. Lord Shiva gave her a trident while Lord Vishnu gave her a disc. Varuna, gave her a conch and noose, and Agni gave her a spear. From Vayu, she received arrows. Indra, gave her a thunderbolt, and the gift of his white-skinned elephant Airavata was a bell. From Yama, she received a sword and shield and from Vishwakarma (god of Architecture), an axe and armor. The god of mountains, Himavat gifted her with jewels and a lion to ride on. Durga was also given many other precious and magical gifts.

The beautiful Durga, bedecked in jewels and golden armor and equipped with the fearsome weaponry of the gods, was ready to engage in battle with the fierce and cruel Mahishasura. Mahishasura and his demon allies found their attention drawn from heaven to Earth, as Durga's power moved its way towards heaven. Though confident of their power and control in heaven, the demons could not help being awestruck. THE VICTORY The demon reverted once more to the form of the wild buffalo. He hid himself in the mountains from where he hurled boulders at Durga with his horns. Durga drank the divine nectar, the gift of Kuber. She then pounced on Mahishasura, pushing him to the ground with her left leg. She grasped his head in one hand, pierced him with her sharp trident held in another, and with yet another of her ten hands she wielded her bright sword, beheading him. At last he fell dead, and the scattered surviving remnants of his once invincible army fled in terror.