13 October
Vijayadashami (in Durga Puja)
Vijayadashami, also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is the 10th and final day marking the end of Durga Puja. The date is part of a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navaratri every year and celebrates the Goddess Durga’s defeat and victory over Mahishasur, the evil, shape-shifting buffalo demon. Vijayadashami celebrations include processions to a river or ocean while carrying clay statues of Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya.The march is accompanied by music and chants and the statutes and images are immersed in the water as a commemoration and farewell.