India is celebrating the Hindu festival of Dussehra, signifying the triumph of good over evil. The festival is also known as Vijaya Dashami, Dasara or Dashain. Dussehra is the culmination of the nine-day Navaratri festival.
Many people of the Hindu faith observe Dussehra through special prayer meetings and food offerings to the gods at home or in temples throughout India. They also hold outdoor fairs and large parades with effigies of the demon king Ravana, which are burnt on bonfires in the evening. Idols of the goddess Durga are immersed in bodies of water. Many cities stage a performance known as Ramila, a dramatic re-enactment of the life of Rama.
People watch as effigies of demon King Ravana, his brother Kumbhkarana and son Meghnad are burnt during the Hindu festival of Dussehra in Amritsar, IndiaMunish Sharma/ReutersEffigies of Ravana, Kumbhkarana and Meghnad explode in AmritsarMunish Sharma/ReutersAn artist dressed as Hindu monkey god Hanuman takes part in a re-enactment of the life of Hindu Lord Rama, in AhmedabadAmit Dave/ReutersDevotees load an idol of Hindu goddess Durga onto a boat for immersion in the waters of the river Ganges in KolkataRupak De Chowdhuri/ReutersAn artisan shows an effigy of demon king Ravana for the Hindu festival of Dussehra in ChandigarhAjay Verma/ReutersAn Indian Hindu dressed as the monkey god Hanuman celebrates Dussehra in AmritsarNarinder Nanu/AFPFireworks are set off before an effigy of demon King Ravana is burned in SrinagarAmit Dave/ReutersAn effigy of demon King Ravana collapses as it burns during the Hindu festival of Dussehra in SrinagarDanish Ismail/ReutersHindu men prepare to burn an effigy of demon king Ravana during the festival of Dussehra in AhmedabadAmit Dave/ReutersA man dressed as monkey god Hanuman participates in a procession in AmritsarNarinder Nanu/AFPPeople dressed as deities Lord Rama and Laxman pose during a religious procession in AmritsarNarinder Nanu/AFPHindu devotees immerse an idol of goddess Durga in a pond at Tara Devi in ShimlaAFPA boy climbs a fence to watch the fair during Dussehra celebrations in New DelhiChandan Khanna/AFPWomen take a selfie during the Dussehra festival in SiliguriDiptendu Dutta/AFPA vendor sells effigies of the Hindu demon King Ravana on a roadside in AmritsarNarinder Nanu/AFPA motorcyclist passes effigies of the demon king Ravana, displayed for sale in New DelhiPrakash Singh/AFP
