Vijayadashami (Dasara)

Hindu festival · victory · celebration · India

Nine nights of celebration. Vijayadashami comes at the end of Navaratri, which means nine nights in Sanskrit. During these nine nights, people celebrate and prepare for the big tenth day festival.

Falls in fall months. The festival happens on the tenth day of the waxing moon in the Hindu month of Ashvin, which means it falls sometime between September and October on our regular calendar.

Good defeats evil. Vijayadashami celebrates victory and the triumph of good over evil. It is also called Dasara, Dassahra, or Dussehra depending on where in India or Nepal you are.

Lunar calendar timing. The festival follows the Hindu lunisolar calendar, which tracks both the moon's phases and the seasons. This is why the date changes each year on our standard calendar.

Major festival moment. Vijayadashami is one of the biggest celebrations in Hindu culture, marking an important spiritual and cultural time when communities come together to rejoice.