Dassehra is the festival of victory of Good over evil and is celebrated in all parts of India in different manners.

 

Dassehra is also called Vijaya Dashmi. It is the festival of victory of Good over evil and is celebrated in all parts of India in different manners. In the Shakta tradition it is celebrated as the day when Goddess Durga slays the Demon Mahishasura.

Mahishasura, the buffalo demon was the symbol of egoism and evil, who obstructed the path of Dharma or righteousness. He considered woman as weak , and hence asked for a boon to Brahma that he may be killed only by woman which according to him cudnt happen as he considered women physically weak.

Mahishasura then grew powerful and wreaked havoc on earth. Under his leadership, the asuras defeated the devas. Even Bramha , Vishnu and Shiva couldn't confront him. The Devas and Gods worried, asked Bramha, Shri Vishnu and Shiva for help. Devas then combined into Shakti, a mass of incandescent energy to kill mahishasura. Hence Goddess Durga was created from the energy of the Trinity.

Gods also gave her the various weapons. Shakti coalesced to form the goddess Durga. On a lion who assisted her, Armed with ten weapons gifted to her by the gods, one for each arm, Maa Durga then proceeds towards the land of Mahishasura. She destroys his army and beheads each of his general.

Mahishasura attacks Durga Ma with his powerful weapons but she destroys them one by one. And finally Mahishasura takes the buffalo form but Devi Durga beheads Mahishasura with her sword and brings an end to the cause of all misery, pain and destruction in her creation.

Maa Durga battled Mahishasura for ten days. On the tenth day, she managed to kill Mahishasura. To celebrate this victory, Durga Puja is performed every year to remember the victory of Goddess Durga. On the last day, Vijaya Dashami is celebrated. Maa Durga, as Shivas consort represents two forms of female energy, mild and protective, fierce and destructive.

Jai Maa Durga ~ Jai Mahishasura Mardini