Dussehra 2027
9 October 2027

Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, is Ashwin Shukla Dashami, the day after the nine nights of Navratri. It remembers two victories. Rama’s victory over Ravana is told in the Valmiki Ramayana, and tradition keeps this Dashami as its day. The Devi’s victory over Mahishasura is told in the Devi Mahatmya, and the day closes her nine nights. In the north, the Ramlila ends this evening with Ravana dahan, the burning of Ravana’s effigy.

The day is decided by the afternoon (aparahna): Vijayadashami is kept on the day Dashami holds then. It is counted among the sade teen muhurat, the three and a half days of the year when, by tradition, new work can begin without looking for a muhurat. Families do the Aparajita puja and the Shami puja in the afternoon, worship their tools and weapons, and meet elders to take their blessings.

• Roli, akshat and kalava
• Flowers and a garland
• Diya and ghee
• Water in a lota for the shami tree
• Shami leaves
• Sweets for prasad and for elders
• Tools, books or account books to be worshipped
• Haldi and kumkum

Source: Valmiki Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda; its link to Ashwin Shukla Dashami is tradition

Ravana, king of Lanka, carried Sita away from the Panchavati forest. Rama and Lakshmana, with Hanuman, Sugriva and the vanara army, built a bridge across the sea to Lanka, and Vibhishana, Ravana’s brother, left him to join Rama.

In the long war that followed, Kumbhakarna fell to Rama and Indrajit (Meghnad) to Lakshmana. At last Ravana himself came out to fight. Before the final battle the sage Agastya taught Rama the Aditya Hridayam, the hymn to Surya, and Indra sent his own chariot with his charioteer Matali.

Rama and Ravana fought for a long time, and Ravana’s heads grew back each time they were cut. Then Rama took up an arrow charged with the power of Brahma and struck Ravana in the chest, and Ravana fell.

Rama had Vibhishana crowned king of Lanka, and Sita was freed. Tradition keeps this Dashami as the day of that victory, and Ramlila across the north ends with it.

What to do

• Do the Aparajita and Shami puja in the afternoon, since that is the part of the day that decides Vijayadashami.
• If you have been waiting to begin something new, many families choose this day for it, as one of the sade teen muhurat.
• Visit elders and touch their feet; the day is kept for blessings and for mending ties.
• Keep children at a safe distance at Ravana dahan, since the effigies are filled with fireworks.

What to avoid

• Avoid breaking branches of the shami tree; pluck a few leaves gently, since the tree itself is worshipped.
• Old quarrels are traditionally set aside on this day; it is a day for embracing and greeting, not for harsh words.

In Mysuru, the Dasara closes on Vijayadashami with a procession in which an elephant carries the image of Chamundeshwari in a golden howdah. In Kullu, Dussehra begins on Vijayadashami and runs for a week, with the deities of the valley brought in procession to Raghunath ji. In Bengal the day is Bijoya Dashami: the Durga images are immersed (visarjan), married women play sindoor khela, and families exchange Bijoya greetings. In Maharashtra apta leaves are exchanged as sona (gold), and in Kerala small children begin learning their letters.

Amanta and Purnimanta calendars both call this Ashwin, since it is Shukla paksha. Where the date moves, it is because Dashami must hold in the afternoon at each place: if it begins late one day and ends early the next, calendars apply the rule to their own city’s afternoon, so the day can differ between places by a day.