How Dussehra is celebrated across India: Ravan Dahan in Delhi, Deities in Kullu, a royal procession in Mysuru

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Happy Dussehra: Dussehra, or Vijayadashami, is being celebrated across the country today, October 20, 2026; and the way people mark it changes a lot from one region to the next. On this day Lord Ram is believed to have broken Ravana's pride and won a victory of dharma over adharma. Goddess Durga, too, is said to have killed Mahishasura and freed the world from his tyranny. Depending on where you are, that story plays out as an effigy going up in flames, a goddess being bid farewell, or village deities being carried out in palanquins.

In north India, the festival centres on Ramlila and Ravan Dahan. In the east, Durga Puja takes over. Kullu in Himachal Pradesh holds a procession of local gods, while Mysuru in Karnataka puts on a royal spectacle. Here is a look at how some of these places do it.

Delhi

Through Navratri, Ramlila performances are staged at various spots in the capital. On the evening of Vijayadashami, large effigies of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhakarna are set on fire at Ramlila Maidan, the Red Fort grounds and several other venues. Crowds turn up in large numbers to watch, and fairs are held around these sites as well.

Kullu, Himachal Pradesh

By the time Dussehra wraps up in most of the country, Kullu's is only beginning. The festival starts on Vijayadashami and goes on for seven days. Lord Raghunath's rath yatra moves through Dhalpur Maidan, where decorated palanquins carrying deities from villages across the valley arrive one after another. No Ravana is burnt here. The celebration is about the gods coming together.

Mysuru, Karnataka

Mysuru's Dussehra is known for its royal heritage and sheer scale, and it is tied to Goddess Chamundeshwari's victory over Mahishasura. For ten days, Mysuru Palace is lit up, drawing visitors from far and wide. On Vijayadashami, the Jamboo Savari is taken out, with an idol of the goddess carried through the streets on a decorated elephant.

West Bengal

Dashami in Bengal is the day Maa Durga is sent off. At puja pandals, married women offer sindoor to the goddess and then smear it on one another, wishing for happiness and prosperity, a ritual known as Sindoor Khela. After that, the idols are taken away for immersion.

Bastar, Chhattisgarh

Bastar's Dussehra is rooted in tribal traditions and runs for 75 days, which makes it very different from the festival elsewhere. What sets it apart most is that it has nothing to do with the killing of Ravana. It is about devotion to Maa Danteshwari.

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