Maharashtrians in Bangalore fast for 9 days of Dussehra, break it in grand way

While most communities see Dussehra as the victory of Rama over Ravana, for Maharashtrians, this festival originates more from the Mahabharata and is about the victory of the Pandavas.

“We decorate our houses with torans, marigold, and other flowers. On the ninth day, Navami, we worship tools, vehicles, machinery, weapons, pens, pencils and books,” says Rupali Aralekar, from Kolhapur. It is believed that on Navami, the Pandavas had come out of exile, picked up their weapons—concealed in a Shami tree—and readied for battle, says Vasundhara Ghorpade.

“So as the evening falls, we perform a ritual called Simollanghan and we worship the Shami tree. Then, we collect leaves of the Apta tree and exchange it among friends and relatives, praying and blessing each other. These leaves denote gold, and are exchanged for prosperity,” Aralekar adds.

So what’s special on the menu? The nine days are a vegetarian period for most people. Elderly women fast through those days.

“On the 10th day, Dussehra, we eat Shrikhand, Pakatli Puri, Basanti and other sweets,” says Aralekar. For non-Brahmins, “on Navami, lambs are scarified and Dussehra would mean a lavish feast,” says Ghorpade.