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What is the difference between Dussehra and Vijayadashami?
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Dhunuchi dance performed during Durga Puja Scenes from the Ramayana enacted during Ramlila Navratri Large effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkaran, and Meghanad stand illuminated at dusk, with one effigy engulfed in flames and fireworks as people watch during Dussehra festival in New Delhi. A woman in a red sari applies red sindoor powder to the face of a decorated Durga idol during the Sindoor Khela ritual at Durga Puja in Lucknow, India. Bengali women in red and white sarees joyfully apply vermilion to each other's faces during Sindur Khela, with a decorated Durga idol in the background at a festival pandal. Women in traditional attire immerse a colorful idol of the goddess Durga in the Mahananda River during the Durga Puja festival in Siliguri, India. Durga Puja
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Dhunuchi dance performed during Durga Puja
Dhunuchi dance performed during Durga Puja A devotee performs the celebratory dhunuchi dance before an image of the goddess Durga during the Hindu festival of Durga Puja in India.

What is the difference between Dussehra and Vijayadashami?

Written by
Tamanna Nangia
Tamanna Nangia is Associate Editor, Encyclopaedia Britannica. She has over five years of experience in editorial processes, handling many different aspects of the publishing process: content development,...
Tamanna Nangia
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

Dussehra and Vijayadashami are two Hindu festivals usually celebrated on the 10th day of the bright half (shukla paksha) of the Hindu calendar month of Ashvina, which falls in September–October according to the Gregorian calendar. For many, Dussehra marks the beginning of preparation for Diwali, the festival of lights, which occurs 20 days after Dussehra. The names Dussehra and Vijayadashami are often used interchangeably, but their associations and observances vary across regions in India. Celebration...

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