Dasara is celebrated all over India to mark the defeat of Ravana by Lord Rama. The tenth day of Navaratri marks the end of fasting and is celebrated as Dussehra. This festival is celebrated by burning effigies of Ravana, Kumbarkaran and Megnath. It depicts the victory of good forces over evil.
Dusshera in West Bengal
In West Bengal, puja pandals have beautifully decorated images of the goddess Durga and people gather here in large numbers to enjoy the festivities.
Dasara in Mysore
In mysore dasara in known as Nadahabba(state-festival) & It is also called as Navaratri.
The Dasara festivities were first started by the Vijayanagar Kings in 15th Century, after the fall of Vijayanagar Kingdom, The Wodeyar’s of Mysore continued the Dasara Festival. The Mysore Palace is lit up on all the 10 days of Dasara. The festivities begin with the Wodeyar royal couple performing a special puja to Goddess Chamundeshwari in the Chamundi Temple located on the top of Chamundi Hill at Mysore. The ninth day of Dasara called as Mahanavami is also an auspicious day on which the royal sword is worshipped and is taken on a procession involving elephants, camels and horses.
On Vijayadashami, the traditional Dasara procession (locally known as Jumboo Savari) is held on the streets of Mysore city. The main attraction of this procession is the idol of the Goddess Chamundeshwari which is placed on a golden mantapa(golden howdah) on the top of a decorated elephant. This idol is worshipped by the royal couple and other invitees before it is taken around in the procession. Colourful tableaux, dance groups, music bands, decorated elephants, horses and camels form a part of the procession which starts from the Mysore Palace and culminates at a place called Bannimantap where the banni tree (Prosopis spicigera) is worshipped.
The Dasara festivities would culminate on the night of Vijayadashami with an event held in the grounds at Bannimantap called as Panjina Kavayatthu (torch-light parade).
