Durga Puja, celebrated by all the Hindus on the Indian subcontinent every October, is the worship of goddess Durga. It commemorates her victory over the buffalo-demon Mahishasura, as well as the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana, the evil king of Lanka.

It is a ten-day festival, also known as Dasain, Dussehra and Durgotsava. The first nine nights are called Navaratri and each is dedicated to a different aspect of goddess Durga. The festival, which shows the victory of virtue over evil, culminates with processions and rituals on the tenth day.

During festival days, people visit different temples to hear readings and make offering to the Goddess. Drums, cymbals and bells ring out and dances are performed before her image. Masked dancers on floats in a procession enact vivid scenes of the battle between Rama and Ravana.

Beautiful idols of Durga are worshipped for nine days and then taken out in a procession for immersion in a river or pond. In the last 30 or 40 years, the festival has become a community affair rather than a private one and everyone becomes involved in its celebration.

Durga is regarded as the presiding genius of all military activities. Warrior kings desiring victory in battle courted her. The kings planned their military operation on the tenth day of Dussehra - the day when Rama defeated Ravana.