Masks for the Dussehra festival

© Piergiorgio Sclarandis/Sime/eStock Phot

Festivities all across the country

Dussehra marks the end of Navratri. Vijayadashami as it is also known, is celebrated for different reasons in different parts of the country. In eastern states, it marks the end of the Durga Pooja; in central and western regions, Dussehra, as it is more commonly known, marks the end of Ramlila in remembrance of Ram’s victory over Ravan. The day is commemorated with effigies of Gods and Goddesses immersed into water bodies, or statues of Ravan burnt to symbolize the victory of good over evil. The statues of Ravan can sometimes be clothed with masks such as the ones on today’s homepage image.