1. Dussehra’s Importance
Dussehra is the most important Hindu festival. The term “Dussehra” is obtained from the Sanskrit language, where “Dasha” means “ten” and “hara” means “defeat,” referring to the defeat of the ten-headed demon king Ravana. Because it falls on the 10th day of Navratri, this grand festival is also known as Vijayadashami. The first nine days are known as Navratri, and the tenth day is known as Dussehra.
2. Dussehra’s History
The Dussehra festival is associated with beautiful folklore. The story behind Dussehra is that the demon king ‘Ravana’ kidnaps ‘Sita,’ Lord Rama’s wife. Then Lord Rama crossed over to Lanka with the help of God ‘Hanuman’ and his small Sena to kill the Demon King Ravana. As a result, Lord Rama triumphed in the battle for his wife. Then, Lord Rama, along with Ravana, assassinated Ravana’s brother ‘Kumbha Karna’ and son ‘Meghanada.’ Thus, Dussehra commemorates the triumph of good over evil.
3. How do people in Jaipur celebrate Dussehra?
The Jaipur Dussehra festival is marked by the burning of evil. The ritual enacts the Ram Leela by dramatizing the various events in Lord Rama’s life. The ritual of burning effigies follows the Ram Leela play and then, Ravana, Kumbhakarana, and Meghnath’s effigies have been prepared. These effigies have crackers inside of them. The mesmerizing fireworks and the view of Ravana’s burning effigy make the most of this occasion.
4. Dussehra Celebration at the Jaipur Royal Family
Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur performed ‘Shashtra Pujan’ at City Palace during the Jaipur Dussehra festival. Dussehra rituals include the worship of elephants, horses, palki, and baggie. He performed elephant, Ashva, and Palki baggie pujan at Sarvatobhadra Chowk. The Dussehra Procession of Sitaramji also began from the City Palace. Then, it leads to Vijay Bagh and the Dussehra Kothi.
5. Jaipurites Dussehra Celebration
People worship their equipment on the day of Dussehra or Vijayadashami because it is considered the most auspicious day to do so. On this day, vehicles, machines, motors, and tools are decorated and worshipped. This is due to the fact that these things provide a living and bring prosperity to people and society by carrying out trades and occupations.
6. Jaipur’s New Dussehra Tradition
During Dussehra in recent years, a new trend has emerged in Jaipur. People buy Ravana effigies and burn them themselves. Therefore, Ravana Effigies are very popular in Jaipur. On Dussehra, the makers of the Ravana effigy sell them in a variety of locations throughout Jaipur. Ravana Mandi refers to these locations.
7. Best Dussehra Celebration Places in Jaipur
Dussehra has an entirely different flavor when celebrated at some of Jaipur’s most popular tourist destinations. Before the pandemic, the following places were famous for Dussehra celebrations in Jaipur.
Dashera Maidan, Adarsh Nagar
Vidhyadhar Nagar Stadium
Arawali Marg, Mansarovar
Rashtrapati Maidan, Shastri Nagar
Pratap Nagar near Sanganer
Ram Leela Ground, Raja Park.
