Why is Dussehra celebrated differently across India? From Mysuru to Bastar, traditions explained

From Ravana burning in north India to Goddess Chamundeshwari’s procession in Mysuru, explore how Dussehra is celebrated across India.

For many Indians, Dussehra means a giant Ravana going up in flames. But the festival is celebrated differently across the country. In Mysuru, Goddess Chamundeshwari is taken out in a grand procession, while in Kullu, people bring their village deities to join the celebrations. In Bastar, Dussehra does not involve burning Ravana at all. So, why is the festival celebrated so differently across India?

1. Delhi and north India: Rama, Ravana and Ramlila

Dussehra celebrations reflect the traditions of different regions. (Unsplash)

In many parts of north India, Dussehra is linked to the story of the Ramayana. During Ramlila, people perform scenes from the story of Lord Rama and Ravana. On the last day, Ravana and other characters are burnt in many places to mark Rama’s victory.

According to UNESCO, Ramlila is a traditional performance of the Ramayana involving song, narration, recital and dialogue. It is performed across northern India during Dussehra and was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.

Dussehra celebrations in Delhi feature Ramlila and Ravana burning.

2. Mysuru: When the Goddess takes centre stage

The festival culminates in the Jamboo Savari, when the idol of Chamundeshwari is carried in a golden howdah on a decorated elephant. The procession, along with the illuminated Mysuru Palace, cultural programmes and traditional performances, reflects the city’s royal history.

Dussehra celebrations in Mysuru.

3. Kullu: Hundreds of village deities come together

Kullu Dussehra has another unusual feature where the festival becomes a gathering of local deities. According to the Himachal Pradesh Tourism website, Lord Raghunath is taken in a wooden chariot to Dhalpur ground at the beginning of the week-long celebration. More than 200 village deities, carried in palanquins, then join the festivities.

The tradition is linked to Lord Raghunath, the presiding deity of Kullu, and gives the festival a distinctly local character.

Kullu Dussehra is marked by a gathering of local deities.

4. Bastar: A Dussehra without Ravana

Perhaps the biggest surprise comes from Bastar in Chhattisgarh, where Dussehra is not centred on Rama’s victory over Ravana. According to Incredible India, Bastar Dussehra lasts approximately 75 days and is rooted in the worship of Maa Danteshwari, local deities, tribal traditions and the region’s royal history.

There is no Ravana figure to burn. Instead, the celebrations include rituals, the arrival of local deities, traditional chariot processions and community participation. The festival dates back around 600 years and has evolved around the religious and cultural traditions of Bastar.

These traditions show why Dussehra cannot be defined by a single ritual across India. While the festival marks the victory of good over evil, the stories, deities and customs associated with it have changed from one region to another.