Dussehra is the tenth day of the bright fortnight of Assu. In every town of Punjab three great effigies of bamboo and paper, of Ravana, Kumbhakaran and Meghnad, packed with fireworks, stand in the Dussehra ground through the afternoon while a fair goes on around them. At sunset Rama, on a chariot, shoots a flaming arrow, and they go up in turn. The crowd goes home eating jalebi.
The story
It is the day Rama killed Ravana after a war of many days. Children carry home a charred splinter of the effigy for luck.
Barley shoots from the Navratri are tucked behind the ears of brothers by their sisters on this day, a custom of the Punjab plains.
How it is kept
- Ravan DahanThe burning of the effigies at dusk.
- MelaA fair with swings, toys and sweets.
- JauSisters place barley shoots on their brothers' heads.
- Shastar pujaWeapons and tools are worshipped.
- JalebiEaten hot on the way home.
Why this date
Dussehra is the Dashami of the bright fortnight of Assu, on the day it prevails in the afternoon.
Dussehra in other years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday | |
| 2027 | Saturday | |
| 2028 | Wednesday | |
| 2029 | Tuesday | |
| 2030 | Sunday | |
| 2031 | Saturday |
More Punjabi festivals
8 OctoberMaha Naumiਮਹਾਂ ਨੌਮੀ
18 OctoberKarwa Chauthਕਰਵਾ ਚੌਥ
29 OctoberDiwali and Bandi Chhor Divasਦੀਵਾਲੀ · ਬੰਦੀ ਛੋੜ ਦਿਵਸ
7 OctoberDurga Ashtamiਦੁਰਗਾ ਅਸ਼ਟਮੀ
3 SeptemberGanesh Chaturthiਗਣੇਸ਼ ਚਤੁਰਥੀ
14 NovemberGuru Nanak Gurpurabਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ
Where to see Dussehra
In Punjab
- AmritsarPunjabSeveral grounds burn Ravana, with the Durgiana committee's the oldest.
- LudhianaPunjabThe Daresi ground and its fair.
- ChandigarhChandigarhThe Sector 46 ground is known for the height of its effigies.
Across India
- KulluHimachal PradeshThe festival begins today, as the hill gods arrive.
- DelhiDelhiThe Ramlila Maidan, with some of the tallest effigies.
- MysuruKarnatakaThe Jamboo Savari, a procession of caparisoned elephants.