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Dussehra

दशहरा
duh-SHEH-rah

Hindu festival marking Rama's victory over the demon king Ravana.

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Meaning & usage

Dussehra falls on the tenth day after Navratri and is also called Vijayadashami ("victory tenth"). Towering effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad are set on fire in public grounds, accompanied by Ramlila theatrical performances retelling the Ramayana. In Mysore, the festival is observed as a royal procession; in Bengal it coincides with Durga's farewell after Durga Puja.

In a sentence

A fifty-foot Ravana went up in flames at the maidan that Dussehra.

Common spelling variants

  • Dasara
  • Dasahara
  • Vijayadashami

Dussehra is the English spelling used in MG Mini puzzles.

As seen in crosswords

Dussehra is a 8-letter answer. A typical clue:

“Hindu festival marking Rama's victory over the demon king Ravana” (8)

Category: Festival Origin: Sanskrit Script: Hindi

Related words

  • Diwali — Hindu festival of lights celebrated across India and the South Asian diaspora.
  • Navratri — Nine-night Hindu festival honouring the goddess Durga in her nine forms.
  • Holi — Hindu spring festival of colours marking the triumph of good over evil.
  • Onam — Ten-day harvest festival of Kerala welcoming the mythical king Mahabali.
  • Eid — Either of two major Muslim festivals — Eid al-Fitr after Ramadan, or Eid al-Adha at Hajj.
  • Raksha Bandhan — Hindu festival where sisters tie a protective thread (rakhi) on their brothers' wrists.

Related crosswords

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