Vijayadashamiis a
composite of two words "Vijaya"(рд┐рд╡рдЬрдп) and
"Dashami"(рджрд╢рдореА), which respectively mean
"victory" and "tenth", connoting the festival on the tenth
day celebrating the victory of good over evil.
It is observed on the tenth day in
the Hindu calendar month of Ashvin, which typically falls in the Gregorian
months of September and October. Vijayadasami is observed for many different reasons and celebrated
differently in various parts of the Indian subcontinent.
Vijayadashami marks the end of
Durga Puja, remembering goddess Durga's victory over the buffalo demon to help
restore Dharma.
Dussehra is
celebrated as Durga Puja. Deities of the goddess Durga are
worshipped for five days, and on the fifth day (Vijaya Dashami) immersed in a
river or pond. This is referred as Durga Bisarjan/Bhashaan.
In Bihar,Bengal, Assam and Orissa, the goddess Kali, an appellation of Durga,
is also worshipped as a symbol of Shakti (Power).
marks a reverence for one of the aspects of goddess
Devi such as Durga or Saraswati.
Vijayadasami celebrations include
processions to a river or ocean front that carry clay statues of Durga,
Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya, accompanied by music and chants,
after which the images are immersed into the water for dissolution and a
goodbye.
