HSS Celebrate Vijaya-dashami in Guyana

“Vijaya-Dashami” (literally “Victory-ten days) is a festival celebrated by Hindus on the day – after the nine nights of Nau Raatri during which God was worshipped as female. The festival is also called “Dassera” and is commemorated in different manner in various parts of India. Diwali will be celebrated 20 days after Vijaya-Dashami.
In Northern India, from where most of the Indians who came as immigrants to Guyana originated, the festival commemorates the victory of Lord Rama over the King of Lanka, Ravana, who had kidnapped his wife, Mother Sita. Typically, in the nine days before Dassera – as Nau Raat is commemorated – villagers and artists would enact parts of the story of Rama and Sita in the performance called “Rama Lila”. On Vijaya-Dashami effigies of Ravana and sometimes those of one his brother Kumbhkaran and his son Meghanada are burnt after the last performance of the Ram Lila.
On Saturday evening the Hindus for Selfless service (HSS) celebrated Vijaya-Dashami in fine style at the village of Tuschen on the east bank of Essequibo. The ceremony started with all the assembled youths and guests paying obeisance to the Bhagwa Dwaj or “Saffron Flag” which represents Hindu Dharma. They then offered flowers to replicas of all the weapons carried by Devi Durga to acknowledge the need for all to defend Dharma – Shastran Puja.
A speech was then delivered by the SanghaChalak or Guide, who quoted from the Ramcharitmas (Story of Rama’s Exploits) to outline some values for living according to Hindu dharma in modern day Guyana. These had been suggested by Sri Rama himself, in an extended discourse on ethics for living a Hindu life. The values illustrated were courage, fortitude, truthfulness and good character.
The participants were then led in a procession by the beat of tassa drums to the ground where the effigy of Ravana had been constructed. A young member of HSS, dressed in the garb from the days of Sri rama shot an arrow into the effigy which burst into flames, as everyone shouted in praise of Hanuman, the faithful devotee of Sri Rama. The participants had written on pieces of paper one negative quality of theirs they wanted to eliminate and these were thrown into the flames consuming the effigy.