If you celebrate Navratri in Gujarat, you might find yourself dancing Garba late into the night.
In West Bengal, the same season might mean magnificent Durga Puja pandals. In Tamil Nadu, families may open their homes to rows of dolls during Golu. And in Karnataka, Mysore Dasara brings grand processions, lights and celebrations.
Known as Vijayadashami, Dussehra marks the tenth day of the Navratri period and is associated with the triumph of good over evil. For many people, it is connected to Lord Rama's victory over Ravana. In other traditions, the day celebrates Maa Durga's victory over Mahishasura.
So how can one festival look so different across India?
The answer lies in India's incredible cultural diversity. Navratri and Dussehra have a shared spiritual foundation, but every region has developed its own way of celebrating them.
Let's take a journey across India.
Gujarat: Garba & Dandiya
In Gujarat, Navratri comes alive through Garba and Dandiya. People gather in colourful traditional clothes to dance in circles, often around a lamp or symbolic centre.
Garba, music and movement turn the nine nights into a vibrant celebration of devotion and togetherness.
The tradition: Devotion expressed through dance, music and community.
West Bengal: Durga Puja
In West Bengal, the season is marked by the spectacular Durga Puja. Elaborately decorated pandals house beautifully crafted idols of Maa Durga, while communities come together for prayers, food, music and celebrations.
The festival centres around Durga's victory over Mahishasura, connecting it to the larger Navratri theme of the triumph of good over evil.
Vijayadashami marks the final day of Durga Puja.
After days of elaborate pandals, beautifully crafted idols, prayers, food, music and community celebrations, Vijayadashami is a time to bid farewell to Maa Durga.
Families and communities come together for Sindoor Khela, where married women traditionally apply sindoor to one another and to the goddess, followed by processions carrying the Durga idols for immersion.
The tradition: A story of divine power brought to life through art, devotion and community.
Karnataka: Mysore Dasara
In Karnataka, Mysore Dasara is known for its grandeur and royal heritage. The illuminated Mysore Palace, cultural performances and the famous Jumbo Savari procession make it one of the region's most distinctive celebrations.
The tradition: A festival shaped by centuries of history, culture and royal heritage.
Tamil Nadu: Golu
In Tamil Nadu, Navratri takes a wonderfully creative form through Golu, where families arrange dolls and figurines on stepped displays in their homes.
The displays may depict gods, animals, everyday life and miniature scenes, turning the home into a little world of stories and tradition.
The tradition: Passing culture from one generation to the next through creativity, storytelling and family participation.
Maharashtra: Ghatasthapana & Community Celebrations
In Maharashtra, Navratri often begins with Ghatasthapana, the ritual of establishing a sacred ghat to mark the beginning of the nine-day observance.
Alongside household prayers and rituals, communities may come together for Garba, Dandiya and other festive celebrations.
The tradition: A blend of personal devotion, family rituals and community celebration.
Himachal Pradesh: Kullu Dussehra
In Himachal Pradesh, Kullu Dussehra has a distinctive place in the festival calendar. While Dussehra marks the end of Navratri celebrations in many parts of India, Kullu Dussehra begins around Vijayadashami and continues for several days.
The festival is centred around Lord Raghunath and brings together deities from surrounding villages in colourful processions and celebrations.
The tradition: A regional celebration where faith, local customs and community come together.
Delhi: Ramlila and the Burning of Ravana
In Delhi and many parts of North India, Dussehra is closely associated with Ramlila, dramatic performances that tell the story of the Ramayana.
Over several days, communities come together to watch scenes from the life of Lord Rama, culminating in the battle between Rama and Ravana.
On Vijayadashami, enormous effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad are traditionally burned, often accompanied by fireworks and large public celebrations.
The tradition: For children, Ramlila makes a familiar story come alive, turning something they may have heard at home into a performance they can see and experience.
Telangana: Bathukamma
In Telangana, Bathukamma is a beautiful flower festival celebrated during the festive season. Women and girls create colourful arrangements of seasonal flowers and gather to sing and dance around them.
The celebration is deeply connected with nature, community and Telangana's cultural identity.
The tradition: A celebration of flowers, nature and regional heritage.
What Connects Them All?
Garba in Gujarat, Durga Puja in Bengal, Golu in Tamil Nadu and Bathukamma in Telangana may look completely different.
But beneath those differences are some familiar threads: devotion, celebration, family, community, stories and traditions passed down through generations.
That's what makes India's festivals so fascinating. A shared season can take on completely different colours, sounds and rituals depending on where you are.
One Festival. Many Ways to Celebrate.
There isn't one single way to experience Navratri in India.
In one place, you may dance.
In another, you may visit a pandal.
Somewhere else, you may arrange dolls, decorate with flowers, attend a procession or gather around a family prayer.
And that's the beauty of it.
The festival changes with the place, but the feeling of coming together remains.
Helping Children Discover India's Many Traditions
For children, Navratri can be a lovely way to discover how differently the same festival is celebrated across India.
Pick a region each day. Look at its celebrations, listen to its music, try a simple craft or dance, or explore a familiar prayer together. WonderBuddy’s Let’s Sing for Our Gods musical book can also be a simple way to introduce children to mantras, aartis and bhajans connected to India’s devotional traditions. And as they discover the stories and traditions behind different celebrations, these little moments can become part of how they experience the festival.
0 comments