Vijayadashami is the celebration of the victory of righteousness over evil. It is celebrated on the tenth day of the Hindu lunar Ashwin month. Vijayadashami marks the end of the Navratri or the nine days of Durga Puja. The day is basically the celebration of the victory of the Mother Goddess over evil demons named Shumbh and Nishumbh. According to legends, the day is marked by several other such victories of good over the evil effects. Vijayadashami in the year 2018 falls on the 19^th of October.

Hindus celebrate this festival worldwide by observing social gatherings and offering sweets and gifts to relatives, friends, and neighbours. The festivity also marks the beginning of the harvest season and prayers are said and rituals are observed to invoke blessings from Mother Earth for a good harvest, peace, and prosperity to all.

The Origin of the Festival

Here are a few mythological legends related to the beginning of the Vijayadashami celebrations:

The conclusion of Navratri - According to this story, Shakti or Parvati the wife of Shiva defeats and kills the demon called Mahishasura after a nine-day long battle. According to the Skanda Purana, this is the victory of the Mother Goddess who acquires power and energy to defeat and vanquish all evil from the face of the earth and protect her progenies from every misery.

The Victory of Lord Ram - Vijayadashami also marks the victory of Lord Ram over Ravana as stated in the epic Ramayana. This is when Lord Ram rescued his wife Sita from the cruel clutches of Ravana. Effigies of Ravana are burnt to mark the victory of good over evil. This marks the celebration of Dussehra all over India.

End of Exile of the Pandavas - According to the greatest epic Mahabharata, Vijayadashami also denotes the end of “Agyatvas” or exile of the Pandavas. After the elder Pandava Yudhisthir lost in the game of dice against Kauravas, they were asked to spend twelve years in exile and the thirteenth year in disguise. On this day that is on the day of Vijayadashami, Pandavas completed their thirteen years of exile and came back to claim their rightful kingdoms.

In fact, the principal motif of Vijayadashami is to mark the victory of good over evil and promote social bonding. Apart from the Hindus, people from all religions become a part of the festivities as pray for overall prosperity and growth.