Celebrating Dussehra in Your Community

India is land of festival where people celebrate festivals with devotion, joyous, distributing sweets and gifts. Dussehra is one of the important festivals celebrated all over India. The festival marks the victory of good over evil, light over darkness. You can celebrate this dussehra with a lot of fun and entertainment in your apartment or community.

Legend:
The festival is celebrated for ten days and last day of festival is considered as victory of good over evil. In the northern part of India, festival marks the victory of Lord Ram over demon king Ravana. On tenth day of dussehra, effigy of Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarna and son Meghnad are burnt in open spaces. As a part of the celebration Ram Leela (drama depicting the episodes from the lives of Ram, Sita and Lakshman) are staged in different regions of the country.

In south India, it is celebrated as navaratri. “Nava” means nine, “ratri” means night, and tenth day is known as Vijayadasami which marks victory of Goddess Durga over demon Mahishasura. The first three days of navaratri are dedicated to Mahalakshmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity, the next three days are dedicated to the Saraswati goddess of learning and arts and the last three days are dedicated to Mother Goddess, Durga. Tenth day marks victory of goddess durga over demon Mahishasura.

Dussehra is celebrated in Punjab after nine days of fasting during Navaratri while Garba dance and music reigns the evenings and nights of Gujarat during the ten days of the festival. In Mysore the festival is celebrated by the famous gala procession of richly bedecked elephants on the brightly lit streets of the city on. Ram leela (Ramayan) shows are very popular in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and to an extent in Maharashtra. Although Dussehra is celebrated in different ways across India, the motive remains the same – celebrate the victory of good over the evil.

Celebrating dussehra in your community:
Apartment owners association can organize an event or games for entertainment of residents in your community. You can also invite yours neighbors for this celebration or distribute sweets. This will help you to know each other and build up friendship with your fellow residents in the community. Here are some tips for celebrate this festival and making it a memorable moment.

• Events of cultural program: Events or cultural program adds color and mood for festival. You can volunteer with your apartment owners association to organize cultural program or special events for entertainment of children, and residents of your community.
• Musical Chair: Musical chair not only entertains participants but also viewers. It adds fun and entertainment for festival or celebration in your apartment.
• Passing the ball: This is similar to musical chair and most entertained by kids and youth. When music is played, participants will pass the ball and when music ends the person who is holding the ball will be out from the game.
• One minute to know your neighbor: This is a simple game and helps you to know your neighbor and enjoy the fun of game. In one minute you need to ask your neighbor his/her name, interest, hobbies, profession etc. Participants need to contact as many neighbors as possible and at the end of game you have to tell the information you collected in each minute. The participant who has collected the most information and tells correctly is declared as winner.
• Action game (Dumb Charades): Children always love to play this game. In this game a song or film name should be acted and others had to guess the name of song or movie seeing the gestures or action. It adds entertainment for the celebration and can be played by anyone.
• Drawing and Painting competition: Owners Association can conduct drawing and painting competition to find talents in your apartment. Competition can be based on any theme or social awareness program.

You can take pictures or photos of the event celebration in your apartment and share them with other neighbors at your apartment CommonFloor. You can conduct events and social activities for entertainment of residents in your apartment. Remember, while celebrating festivals you should not harm environment and other living being. Your festival and celebration should contain some awareness program along with fun and entertainment. Discuss your ideas and plans with your neighbors and association to make this festival memorable. If you have some experience or ideas for conducting such events or games, you can share with other apartment owners or residents to celebrate this dussehra with games, social activities and distributing gifts or sweets.