Dussera

Arguably, the most important of all religious festivals for Hindus is Dussera (or Durga Puja). Dussera celebrates the victory of good over evil. This holiday falls in the month of Asvina on the Hindu calendar and is celebrated for ten days. Since ancient times, the dates for holidays have been determined by the Hindu calendar. In some parts of India, Dussera marks the victory of the god Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu, over the demon Ravana. In North India, it's the time when the winter crops are planted. Barley is planted in small dishes on the first day and by the tenth day, it begins to sprout. The plants are then placed on the family shrine while prayers are offered for a good crop. In other parts of India, like Bengal, Dussera is the celebration of the great goddess Durga's victory over the evil buffalo demon. Durga is the protector of good and the destroyer of evil and the daughter of Himalaya, the great mountain. She is married to Shiva and has four children - Lakshmi, the goddess of bounty, Sarasvati, the goddess of learning, Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of success, and Kartikeya, the general of the gods. Following tradition, Durga and her four children visit the earth for ten days every year to see her father. This reminds families of the visits that married daughters make to their parents home. In each household, the women kiss the goddess goodbye as they would their own daughter and ask her to return. During the ten-day celebration, neighbors get together to set up temporary shrines of Durga. The shrines are often made of papier-m