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In pictures: Celebrations across India as devotees mark Dussehra festival

1 hour ago
Nikita YadavBBC News, Delhi
AFP via Getty Images Workers in Varanasi carry an effigy of Meghnath, son of the Hindu mythological demon king Ravana, ritualistically burnt on the occasion of Dussehra-Vijaya Dashami festival.AFP via Getty Images

Millions of Indians are celebrating Dussehra – one of Hinduism’s most important festivals – that symbolises the triumph of good over evil.

Dussehra commemorates the deity Lord Ram’s victory over the ten-headed demon king Ravan.

Across the country, Dussehra is marked with different rituals and traditions, but a common celebratory grandeur.

Dussehra falls on the tenth day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar and is preceded by the festival of Navratri (the nine nights leading up to Dussehra), when people worship different forms of the Hindu goddess Durga.

Hindustan Times via Getty Images Three men in elaborate costumes depicting Hindu mythological figures, at a Ramlila being staged in Noida, India.Hindustan Times via Getty Images
Hindustan Times via Getty Images Artists prepare three massive effigies of the Hindu demon king Ravana, ahead of the upcoming Dussehra festival at Red Fort in New Delhi, India.Hindustan Times via Getty Images
Hindustan Times via Getty Images Women perform Garba and Dandiya dance during the Durga Navratri festival celebration in New Delhi, India.Hindustan Times via Getty Images

During Dussehra, grand performances including vibrant music and dance nights are typically held in open-air grounds in towns and villages across India.

People visit their friends and family, exchange sweets and gifts and spend evenings at pop-up carnivals with ferris wheels and swings.

Hindustan Times via Getty Images View of illuminated Ferris wheels, swings and shops at Ramlila mela (fair) in front of Red Fort Ground on the eve of the Dussehra festival on October 1, 2025 in New Delhi, India.Hindustan Times via Getty Images
AFP via Getty Images Hindu devotees dressed as deities Krishna and his consort Radha take part in a religious procession to celebrate the annual Hindu festival of Maha Navami on the occasion of Dussehra in Amritsar on October 1, 2025.AFP via Getty Images

During the festival, people wearing elaborate costumes typically enact the Ramlila – a theatrical rendition of the two millennia-old epic Ramayana.

These performances take place on brightly lit stages, where artists dressed in vibrant costumes and makeup, play characters from the epic.

They narrate stories of Lord Ram’s exile from his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, Sita’s abduction by the demon-king Ravan and the ultimate battle that leads to her rescue.

The final act of the Ramlila is enacted on Dussehra day, when Ravan is killed by Ram, symbolising the triumph of good over evil.

This is marked by burning colourful effigies of Ravan, his brother Kumbhkaran and son Meghnath.

Large crowds gather to witness the spectacle and watch the figures go up in flames.

Hindustan Times via Getty Images Colourful effigies of Ravana, Meghnath, and Kumbhkaran erected for burning, at Red Fort in Delhi.Hindustan Times via Getty Images
Getty Images Effigies of the demon king Ravana, his son Meghnath and brother Kumbhkaran burn during the Dussehra festival in Srinagar.Getty Images

Dussehra also marks the beginning of preparations for Diwali – the festival of lights – which is held 20 days later.

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