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Dussehra is a popular and very well known festival celebrated all over India by the Hindus. But each and every region celebrates this festival with a different name. Like, many people call the festival as "Vijayadashmi" too. As 'vijay' means victory and 'dasmi' means the tenth day and it is believed that Lord Ram killed the demon Ravana and acquired victory over the Lanka. To celebrate this victory of good over evil, the festival is celebrated through out the country. The Kullu Dussehra is observed every year in the town of Kullu for 10 days to mark this victory.
The Kullu Dussehra is celebrated on a large scale with all the deities of the temple brought to the 'maidan' in Kullu. They are brought here, so that the devotees can pay homage to their Gods and Goddesses. More than one hundred deities are mounted on the colorful palanquins that take part in the huge procession. The ceremony is held in such grandeur that it feels, the doors of the heaven have wide opened for the Gods to come down on earth and rejoice the celebration. Thus, not only the local people but also the tourists and travelers can enjoy every bit of the Kullu Dussehra celebrations.
In Kullu, the celebration for the festival begins 10 day in advance. All the Gods like the Raghunathji, Hidimba Devi, and Jamlu appear on the first day with great processions by the River Beas. The shepherds who come down the hill arrange some music during this time. There are many performances by the local people like the singing, dancing for all the ten days that usually last till late nights. On the ninth day all the Gods gather at the 'Devta Darbar'. And on the tenth day, the symbolic destruction of the Ravana marks the glorious end of the Kullu Dussehra festival. The procession of the Gods is taken back to their respective temples, and this is the most spectacular and colorful view.
The other major attraction that keeps the crowd engaged is the 'Ramlila'. The Ramlila episodes consist of various incidents from Lord Ram's life, which are enacted and showed to the audience. The most famous of them is the destruction of Ravana and the Bhart Milap. Bharat Milap is the reunion of the Lord with his younger brother Bharat, after returning from 14 years of exile. Many other important episodes of Lord Ram's life are also enacted. This is the main drawing force of the number of people every year to Kullu.
Thus the Kullu Dussehra is celebrated in a very grand style all over the town of Kullu. During this time many fairs are arranged that can be enjoyed by the children. It also marks the beginning of the International folk festival. The ten days of the celebration of Dussehra marks the best time the Kullu valley can be visited.
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