Dasara (Vijaya Dasami)
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One of the most important festivals of India, which is celebrated in various parts of the country with great enthusiasm, is Dasara. People in different parts celebrate in different ways according to their customs and conventions in the month of October. This festival is generally celebrated for ten days, during which time the goddess Adishakthi is worshipped by various names and in various forms. Durga, Kali, Annapoorna, Sarvamangala, Bhairavi, chandika, Rajarajeswari, Bhavani, Sakambari, Saraswathi, Mahishasuramardini are some of the names by which this goddess is referred.
Among the ten days, the ninth day, which is called Maharnavami, is very important. The day before Navami (Ashtami) is believed to be the day of incarnation of the goddess and the day next to Navami (Dasami) is considered, as the termination day of evil by the goddess. The three days are treated as the important festive days.
The goddess is consecrated at the holy place of worship and the holy fire is lit. Then people offer prayers to the goddess and the Sri Chakra (the weapon of lord Vishnu). Prayers are offered to the goddess in the morning and rituals like Sumangali pooja or Kanyaka pooja are followed in the evenings. Among the three types of worship, Rajasa, Thamasa and Sathvika, animal offerings are made in Rajasa and Thamasa type while Coconuts are offered in the third type i.e., the Sathvika. Coconut offering is equivalent to human sacrifice according to the story of sage Vishwamithra, who created coconut, which resembled human head, in his attempt to create a New World, which was stopped later.
In earlier times, in some parts of the country especially in Calcutta, it was a custom to perform "Makara Panchaka Poojalu". People who practised sorcery, in the hope of getting magical powers offered fish, meat, liquor etc., to the goddess. A girl child or a virgin was usually worshipped in the name of Kalika Devi. She is made to consume all the above in order to propitiate Kali and obtain magical powers in return. This worship is usually carried out at midnight. Such offerings were earlier common at the Kali temple of Calcutta.
