Dussehra Mela, Kota

Numerous cultures have, over the centuries, made India a land of perpetual festivals. The Dussehra Festival mela is held in Kota, every year in the Hindu month of Ashvin. Dussehra is the beginning of a festive period when people gather to offer prayers to Lord Ram and celebrate his victory over Ravana .Celebrated in Sept./Oct., it is a celebration of victory of good over evil.

The festival of Dussehra is celebrated with fervour not only in Kota but throughout India in myriad ways. It marks the victory of Lord Rama over the Demon King Ravana. This fiery battle between the good and the evil lasted ten days. The theatrical enactment of this dramatic encounter are held throughout the nation in which both children and elders participate.

Activities
Dussehra is one of the significant Hindu festivals, celebrated with much joy and happiness in the entire country. The occasion marks the triumph of Lord Ram over Ravana, the victory of good over evil. Brilliantly decorated tableaux and processions depicting various episodes from Ram's life are taken out.

Also part of the celebration is the Ram Lila or the dramatic depiction of episodes from the lives of Ram, Sita, and Lakshman. All the regions across the country have evolved their own distinctive style, and performances at different places are done in the local language.
This was also the day to worship the weapons. According to legend, Arjuna, one of the Pandav princes, hid his weapons in a shami tree when the Pandavs were banished into the forests. After one year he returned from the forest and on the day of Dussehra, he retrieved his weapons and worshipped them along with the shami tree. Hence the custom of worshipping weapons on this day started.

Access
By Air And Rail - Kota does not have an airport of its own. Kota railway station is located at the extreme northern end of the town. As Kota is on the main Delhi-Mumbai railway line via Sawai Madhopur, a number of trains pass through and stop here.

By Road - Kota is linked with Ajmer (6 hours), Chittorgarh (6 hours), Jaipur (6 hours), Udaipur (6 hours), Jodhpur (11 hours) and Bikaner (12 hours) by road.