Dussehra celebrates the victory of good over evil. The festival has different meanings for different people. Some enjoys it as the end of their nine days of fasting and some finds it appealing due to huge celebrations taking place on this occasion. Every state of the country has its own way of celebrating this grand festival but elegance & ethnicity remain an integral part every time. Some states of India celebrate Dussehra as the defeat of Ravana by Lord Rama and some celebrates it as the destruction of demon named Mahisasur by Goddess Durga. Explore the states where this grand festival of Durga Puja is celebrated in a beautiful way. EaseMyTrip takes you to some of the most amazing places to visit Dussehra at its best

Gujarat

Dussehra is celebrated as Navratra in Indian state of Gujarat. Garba, the main folk dance of state is a must enjoy activity during the 9-days of Navratra. Being the main appeal of the festival, the folk dance brings people together at one place and they tune on folk songs with colorful sticks. Garba is played all through the night after performing the aarti of Goddess Durga. On this occasion, men and women wear their traditional attires, including Lehnga Choli for women and Kedia for men.

Himachal Pradesh

Kullu in Himachal celebrates Dussehra as the most significant festival of the state. One can experience a great enthusiasm in this festival. The celebration of the festival takes place for 7 days. In Kullu, the festivity is about the worship of Lord Raghunath and center of the celebration is on fairground of Dhalpur Maidan. Nearby villagers carry the idols of local gods and goddesses to the fairground in a holy procession. The whole valley floods with the delights of festivity for a week.

Delhi

Dussehra is celebrated in Delhi as the defeat of Ravana by Lord Rama. On this occasion, temples are decorated, religious music is played and Ram Leela is performed. Idols of Ravana, Meghanad and Kumbhakaran are set on fire at almost each locality of the city. The city also goes through 9-days of fasting. You should watch Ramleela in Delhi, which is a theatrical representation of the Ramayana. Ravana’s effigy is burnt along with fireworks displaying the beautiful colors in sky. There are several places in Delhi, where you can find the attractively created Pandals of Goddess Durga.

Punjab

The state of Punjab also has a unique way of honoring Goddess Shakti. Most of the people in Punjab fast for the first seven days of Navratri and also arrange Jagraata (Awakening for whole night by singing devotional songs). On the 8th day or Ashtami, the fast is open by organizing a bhandara for 9 young (Little) girls (Kanjika).

Tamil Nadu

This Dravidian state adds a special religious feel to this festival by worshiping Goddess Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. On this occasion, women invite married women to their homes in the evenings and present them nuptial accessories like bangles, kumkum and other things. A coconut, betel nuts, and betel leaves and money are also given to each other.