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.
An indigo bunting on a sunflower
A bee dives into an East Indian lotus flower at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens in Washington, DC
Fallen rhododendron petals line a trail on Grassy Ridge Bald, Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina
Shikisai no Oka flower gardens in Biei, Japan
Grinnell Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana
The Cholla Cactus Garden in Joshua Tree National Park, California
Bluebell flowers carpet the Hallerbos forest floor, Flanders, Belgium
A blue tit amongst daffodils on St David's Day in Wales, UK
