Vijayadashami, or Dussehra, has several stories related to it, with the common theme being the victory of good over evil.
It is often reported that the story of Rama’s victory over Ravana can be traced as far back as 5114 BC. This famous Hindu celebration says that the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Lord Rama, killed the ten-headed devil Ravana. Lord Rama and his brother Lakshman and follower Hanuman trekked to Ravana’s kingdom to fight him and bring back Sita, Rama’s wife. On their way, Rama prayed to Durga and was eventually victorious.
It was from around 1500BC that the first Durga Puja celebrations were mentioned, with these in Dinajpur and Malda. These celebrations often draw upon Goddess Durga’s assassination of the demon Mahidhasur
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