Vijaya Dashami
Published On: 2022-10-12
Festivals are the period of celebration and bring moments of devotion and dedication towards the Lord. They are an expressive way to celebrate our glorious heritage, culture and traditions.
To enhance that among our little ones, Bhaktivedanta Gurukul and International School, Vrindaranyam organized a fun filled Dussehra celebration which included a musical play by the primary graders in which children were beautifully attired in the costumes of Lord Ram, Lakshmana, Sita Mata, Hanuman ji, Ravana and other characters from Ramayana. The tiny tots from the junior section made cut-outs of crowns, arrows, etc. with chart papers to go with their costumes. They enthralled the entire audience with their synchronized musical performance.
Keeping the festive spirit alive, the middle school students also presented a mini Ramayana for the audience, the skit conveyed the message of victory of Lord Rama over Ravana and reinforced the message that good always triumphs over evil. The children who enacted these roles were perfect in their poise, confidence and expression.
Dr. Ramana Manohar Das, a professor from IIT Patna, was the chief guest of the function attended by more than 30 students and teachers from IIT among other guests. The chief guest highlighted that every evil can be terminated with goodness and goodwill, which always leads to peace and prosperity.
While fun and fervor is one side of the coin, there is so much more to the festival of Dusshera, as explained in the following verse from Ramayana, that everyone can learn.
sakṛd eva prapanno yas
tavāsmīti ca yācate
abhayaṁ sarvadā tasmai
dadāmy etad vrataṁ mama
Translation - “ ‘It is My vow that if one only once seriously surrenders unto Me, saying “My dear Lord, from this day I am Yours,” and prays to Me for courage, I shall immediately award courage to that person, and he will always remain safe from that time on.’ - Rāmāyaṇa (Yuddha-kāṇḍa 18.33)
This verse spoken by Lord Ramchandra shows us how the most magnanimous Lord accepts every surrendered soul unconditionally, the way He accepted Vibhishana. Dussehra is also an opportunity for all of us to surrender our hearts to the Supreme Lord.
Finally, the celebration took off with the most awaited burning of the huge effigy of Ravana with ten heads and crackers placed inside. Besides all, a scrumptious prasadam was enjoyed by students, teachers, staff and all guests.
