Wondering what to do on Dussehra day to make the festival meaningful for you and your family? Celebrating Lord Rama’s victory offers an opportunity to remember His teachings, offer prayers, and put compassion into practice.
From reading the Ramayan and visiting a temple to watching Ramlila and serving those in need, the day offers many ways to bring devotion into your celebrations. These shared moments can help your family reflect on dharma and express gratitude for the Lord’s blessings.
Explore these 10 things to do on Dussehra day and choose activities that fill your celebration with faith, joy, and service.
10 Things to Do on Dussehra Day
Below are general activities that you can perform alone or with family on Dussehra to observe the festival with true devotion and faith:
1. Auspicious Decoration:
On Dussehra, gather your family and decorate your home to welcome Lord Rama's blessings. Hang a mango leaf toran outside the main entrance, make rangoli, and light diyas to invite the festival's grace and energy into your home. You can also join neighborhood celebrations, build good company, and share devotion.
2. Vijayadashami Puja:
Perform Vijayadashami Puja as part of your Dussehra day rituals in the afternoon during the Aparahna period at your home altar with your family. Sit before the idols of Lord Rama and Goddess Durga, honoring their victory over evil, and pray to Goddess Aparajita (the invincible). Perform aarti and offer fresh flowers, fruits, and sweets as an expression of gratitude and faith. Check your local panchang for exact puja timings in your city.
3. Shastra Puja:
Worship tools, weapons, and vehicles on Dussehra day, a common ritual believed to bring good luck. Light up a diya, offer tilak, kumkum, and tie a mauli (sacred thread). This ritual is believed to eliminate negativity, build inner strength, and invite a prosperous, peaceful future. You can also worship your laptop, musical instruments, kitchen tools, and other everyday items you use.
4. Nearby Temple Visit:
Visit a neighborhood temple early in the morning with your loved ones and enjoy the vibrant Vijayadashami celebrations. Spend some quiet time and, if you can, meditate and offer prayers to Lord Rama and Goddess Durga. Help with temple seva, like distributing prasad to devotees, which is believed to bring blessings and peace.
5. Ramayan Paath:
Read the Ramayan with your family on Dussehra to reflect on Lord Rama's core values, compassion, duty, and dharma. You can also recite the Ram Chalisa and Ram Raksha Stotra; after completing the recitation, offer a prayer, seek blessings, distribute prasad among family members, and take a sankalp for a good resolution.
6. Ramlila:
Attend local theatrical plays with friends or family in your neighborhood. These plays are highly interactive, featuring live enactments of Lord Rama, Sita, and Lord Lakshmana's struggle during forest exile, their meeting with Lord Hanuman, and the defeat of Ravan. This creates a festive vibe, as crowds cheer and chant Jai Shri Ram.
7. Ravan Dahan:
Make a mini Ravan from cardboard at home, or watch big Ravan Dahan celebrations at nearby stadiums and mela grounds. Many believe watching Ravan's burning carries cultural, psychological, and spiritual meaning, helping you control your senses, awaken your knowledge, and remember that good always wins over evil.
8. Dussehra Mela:
After watching Ravan Dahan, you can explore the fair with your family. You will often see stalls selling puja items, along with constant devotional music and performances going on stage. Enjoy games, shops, food stalls, and amusement rides, and celebrate the festival with a wider community.
9. Prasad Feasting:
Make traditional and regional sweets and dishes to celebrate Dussehra and the end of the nine-day Navratri festival. Many families keep the feasting sattvic by avoiding onion and garlic, and first offer what you make to Lord Rama and Goddess Durga. Then enjoy it with family and distribute it among neighbors as prasad.
10. Charitable Activities:
Feed hungry people, stray animals, and offer clothes and essential items to families in need. Through these acts of service, you can observe Dussehra with compassion and gratitude. You can also sponsor education or medical support for people who can’t afford it; this brings a sense of gratification and invites divine blessings into your home.
Conclusion
Celebrating Dussehra is not just a way to mark the festival; it’s a divine reminder that good always triumphs over evil. Whether you celebrate with family or go out with friends, the tips above can make your day blessed and meaningful.
Share the list with your relatives and close ones, so that they can also celebrate the festival with pure faith.
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