Dasara is celebrated all over India as a religious as well as a social festival. Nava means nine and rathri means night and so Navarathri means nine nights. Some call it as Navarathri, some as Vijaya Dashami, and some as Dussehra. Doesn’t matter what you call, does it?
This year Dasara is celebrated from September 29th October 8th 2019. Please check the dates in the country you are residing.
From day one of the festival, it is customary to keep a Kalasha (ಕಲಶ), this is filled with water(ನೀರು) and 4 betel leaves(ವೀಳೆದೆಲೇ) are arranged as shown below in the pictures.Apply Haldi (ಆರಿಶಿನ) , Kumkum(ಕುಂಕುಮ), and flowers, gejje vastra (ಗೆಜ್ಜೆ ವಸ್ತ್ರ) as shown again. This Kalasha is kept in front of the Pattada Gombe (ಪಟ್ಟದ ಗೊಂಬೆ) which is given during the marriage to the bride. This ಪಟ್ಟದ ಗೊಂಬೆ signifies Lord Srinivasa and Goddess Padmavathi. Again, see pictures below. These ಪಟ್ಟದ ಗೊಂಬೆ are decorated with different jewelery, crown, bangles, dresses every few years.
If you are keeping an elaborate Gombe (Dolls), than the Kalasha and the Pattada Bombe are placed on the top shelf. And all other arrangements follow next.
Even though all the 10 days and nine nights are important, there are a few major days where pooja is done with great devotion and pomp.
Those days are as follows:
- Saraswathi Pooja – October 6th
Read more about Saraswathi Pooje here. - Durgasthami – October 6th
- Ayoodha Pooja – Mahanavami – October 7th. Read more about Ayoodha Pooja here.
- Vijayadashami – October 8th
Devotional Songs for Dasara:
Dasara Pictures around the world:
Food Prepared during Dasara
Other links posted on the blog:
Kalpavriksha Kamadhenu 
Posted by Brinda Jagannathan on October 9, 2018 at 3:10 pm
Thank you so much , i like reading your posts.Very useful and informative .
Posted by meeraghu on October 10, 2018 at 2:26 pm
Thanks so much!
Posted by vidya on September 18, 2017 at 11:08 am
hello
the dates are wrong for navaratri it shows october suppose to september 2017 or maybe i am wrong
thankyou
Posted by meeraghu on September 18, 2017 at 11:35 am
You are 100% correct, I got the month wrong. Updated and made changes. Thanks so very much!
Posted by Savitha on October 4, 2016 at 3:12 am
Dear Meera madam
Thank you for such a wonderful site.
In case I have some doubts regarding Madhwa festiva, I look into it site. It’s amazing.
I have got lyrics for many songs which my mother in law used to sing. Thank u.
One request: kindly include the Pooja procedure and dishes prepared during “Venkapana Lagna”.
Thank you.
Posted by Shiv Dinkar on October 11, 2015 at 5:17 pm
A friendly reminder – the Madhwas start doing the Parayanam of Sumadhwa Vijayam – the Jiva Charitram of Sriman Madhwacharya on the 1st day of Navaratri and concluding it on Vijayadashami to coincide with the Janma Dinam of Sriman Madhwacharya.
Posted by mythoughtlane on October 10, 2015 at 7:19 am
What a comprehensive blog ! Amazing festival material ! Kudos. And I am heading straight to the food section.
Posted by ramyarao on September 24, 2014 at 12:32 pm
Really thank u so much aunty i used to sing with my mother in dasara n with the bless of Lord srinivasa I got my husband with the same name who is very very lovable n caring to me. so this year really wanted to sing in this ten days but i had no book. My moter used to put different ragas for each adhyaya which was very nice to listen. But with the help of urs i will pray Lord Sreenivasa this year tooo. Thank u so much once again .Grateful
Posted by meeraghu on September 24, 2014 at 7:39 pm
Most welcome.
Posted by ramyarao on September 23, 2014 at 11:02 pm
hai aunty thanks for the information as i remember my mother used to sing sreenivas kalyana each day one adhyaya for continously ten days can u post any of that related to that which will be very useful,Thank u in advance….
Posted by meeraghu on September 24, 2014 at 7:11 am
I have asked my Father to buy that book for me as well. My dad has the book in Sanskrit and mom in Kannada.
Posted by Bhavana on October 4, 2013 at 9:30 am
Let me know the beginning of stotra.
Posted by Radhika srinath on October 4, 2013 at 4:16 am
hi ! Meera ,
can u pls post vekatesha parijatha stotra in devanagiri lipi. it will be of great help.
Radhika
Posted by Bhavya on October 27, 2012 at 2:51 am
madam i would like to share the photos of gombe which are kept at our home can you please share your e mail address to send the same
Posted by Chandrika on October 20, 2012 at 7:40 am
Hi Meera,
I would like to share Dasara Gombe Pictures taken at Smt. Chandrika Prabhakar place (my husband’s Chikkappa’s place)
Posted by meeraghu on October 22, 2012 at 9:25 am
Chandrika,
I have sent an email.
Posted by BRS on October 20, 2012 at 3:45 am
Can I send you a photo of doll decoration at our house ? If so, please let me know the email ID. Thank you.
Posted by meeraghu on October 22, 2012 at 9:25 am
BRS, I just sent an email, please share your pictures to that email ID.
Posted by rashu on October 19, 2012 at 3:12 am
It’s very lovely picture, thanks for sharing your memories. I also have some memories i want to share with all of you please visit Dasar wallpapr and Happy Dasara to all of you
Posted by meeraghu on October 19, 2012 at 7:53 am
Thanks.
Posted by Shiv Dinkar on October 18, 2012 at 7:58 pm
Can you add an article on Mahan Sri Madhwacharya? His birthday is on Vijaya Dashami. Madhwas have always had a practice of doing the Parayanam of all the 16 chapters of Sumadhwa Vijaya on or before Vijaya Dashami.
Posted by meeraghu on October 19, 2012 at 7:52 am
I didn’t know the Birthday of Madhwacharya was on Dasara day. I will post some articles as well.
Posted by Sindhu Acharya on October 16, 2012 at 8:19 pm
Thank you so much for sharing such beatiful, and traditional pictures of all the festivals
Posted by Madhavi on October 15, 2012 at 3:37 pm
Hi Meera ,
can u pls upload Jagannatha dasara Sri lakshmi hrudaya stotra lyrics , sung by puttur narasimha nayak . Starts like ” Sri manohare lakumi tava pada ….
wiould be greatful .Happy Dasara.
Madhavi
Posted by meeraghu on October 15, 2012 at 4:54 pm
I don’t have the lyrics you are requesting.
Posted by Soumya Jadhav-Korade on October 15, 2012 at 4:59 am
I love all your posts Meera. I come to your blog regularly for updates!
Posted by meeraghu on October 15, 2012 at 7:39 am
Soumya,
Thanks so much for such a wonderful comment.
Posted by meeraghu on October 12, 2012 at 7:34 am
Sure, Bhavana. Send me the details.
Posted by bhavana on October 12, 2012 at 11:51 am
Meera,
The very first song is about inviting the Goddess to our home. This can be sung at the time of Kalasha Pratishtapana .The lyrics are as follows.
ammA bArammA namma tAyi bArammA
ammA bArammA jagadAMba bArammA…..||
mUrulOkada oDeya shivana rANiye bAramma
gajamukha jananiye dhIra gaMbhIraLe gAyatridEviye bAramma ||1||
aMbAbhavAni parashivanaragiNi gaMgAbhavAniye bAramma
khaDgadhAriNi trishUlapANi chAmuMDEshvari bAramma ||2||
rAjAdhirAjariMda pUjisalpaDuva rAjarAjEshvari bAramma
japavanu ariyenu tapavanu ariyenu mUDhaLa karuNisi bAramma ||3||
mUjagavaMdite muraharavallabhe mUkAMbike tAyi bAramma
shaMkarastutipe shrIchakrapUjite shArada dEviye bAramma ||4||
shRuMgEriyalli nagunagutiruva bhAratidEviye bAramma
kaMchi kAmAkShi madhure mInAkShi kAshi vishAlAkShi bAramma ||5||
mahiShApuradali nelasiruvaMtaha mahiShamardini bAramma
shrI sirilakShmi prasannalakShmi bhAgyadalakShmiye bAramma ||6||
shrAvaNamAsadali pUjisalpaDuva varamahAlakShmiye bAramma
gajamukhagouri varasirigouri maMgaLagouriye bAramma ||7||
bhAdrapadamAsadali pUjisalpaDuva svarNagouriye bAramma
navarAtridEvi mUlasarasvati aShTami durgiye bAramma ||8||
dashamiya dinadoLu vijayaMgaiva vijayalakShmiye bAramma
kAmAkShidEvi mInAkShidEvi iMdrAkShidEviye bAramma
kAmitaphalagaLa nIDuvaMtha karuNAsAgari bAramma ||9||
ಅಮ್ಮಾ ಬಾರಮ್ಮಾ ನಮ್ಮ ತಾಯಿ ಬಾರಮ್ಮಾ
ಅಮ್ಮಾ ಬಾರಮ್ಮಾ ಜಗದಾಂಬ ಬಾರಮ್ಮಾ…..||
ಮೂರುಲೋಕದ ಒಡೆಯ ಶಿವನ ರಾಣಿಯೆ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ
ಗಜಮುಖ ಜನನಿಯೆ ಧೀರ ಗಂಭೀರಳೆ ಗಾಯತ್ರಿದೇವಿಯೆ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ ||೧||
ಅಂಬಾಭವಾನಿ ಪರಶಿವನರಗಿಣಿ ಗಂಗಾಭವಾನಿಯೆ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ
ಖಡ್ಗಧಾರಿಣಿ ತ್ರಿಶೂಲಪಾಣಿ ಚಾಮುಂಡೇಶ್ವರಿ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ ||೨||
ರಾಜಾಧಿರಾಜರಿಂದ ಪೂಜಿಸಲ್ಪಡುವ ರಾಜರಾಜೇಶ್ವರಿ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ
ಜಪವನು ಅರಿಯೆನು ತಪವನು ಅರಿಯೆನು ಮೂಢಳ ಕರುಣಿಸಿ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ ||೩||
ಮೂಜಗವಂದಿತೆ ಮುರಹರವಲ್ಲಭೆ ಮೂಕಾಂಬಿಕೆ ತಾಯಿ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ
ಶಂಕರಸ್ತುತಿಪೆ ಶ್ರೀಚಕ್ರಪೂಜಿತೆ ಶಾರದ ದೇವಿಯೆ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ ||೪||
ಶೃಂಗೇರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಗುನಗುತಿರುವ ಭಾರತಿದೇವಿಯೆ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ
ಕಂಚಿ ಕಾಮಾಕ್ಷಿ ಮಧುರೆ ಮೀನಾಕ್ಷಿ ಕಾಶಿ ವಿಶಾಲಾಕ್ಷಿ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ ||೫||
ಮಹಿಷಾಪುರದಲಿ ನೆಲಸಿರುವಂತಹ ಮಹಿಷಮರ್ದಿನಿ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ
ಶ್ರೀ ಸಿರಿಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ ಪ್ರಸನ್ನ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ ಭಾಗ್ಯದ ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿಯೆ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ ||೬||
ಶ್ರಾವಣಮಾಸದಲಿ ಪೂಜಿಸಲ್ಪಡುವ ವರಮಹಾಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿಯೆ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ
ಗಜಮುಖಗೌರಿ ವರಸಿರಿಗೌರಿ ಮಂಗಳಗೌರಿಯೆ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ ||೭||
ಭಾದ್ರಪದಮಾಸದಲಿ ಪೂಜಿಸಲ್ಪಡುವ ಸ್ವರ್ಣಗೌರಿಯೆ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ
ನವರಾತ್ರಿದೇವಿ ಮೂಲಸರಸ್ವತಿ ಅಷ್ಟಮಿ ದುರ್ಗಿಯೆ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ ||೮||
ದಶಮಿಯ ದಿನದೊಳು ವಿಜಯಂಗೈವ ವಿಜಯಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿಯೆ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ
ಕಾಮಾಕ್ಷಿದೇವಿ ಮೀನಾಕ್ಷಿದೇವಿ ಇಂದ್ರಾಕ್ಷಿದೇವಿಯೆ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ
ಕಾಮಿತಫಲಗಳ ನೀಡುವಂಥ ಕರುಣಾಸಾಗರಿ ಬಾರಮ್ಮ ||೯||
Posted by meeraghu on October 15, 2012 at 7:40 am
Just posted the lyrics on the blog, Bhavana. Thanks so much.
Posted by bhavana on October 12, 2012 at 4:37 am
Meera,
I was waiting for the Navaratri at your blog. At my home there is no Gombe Habba. We celebrate only Sharada puja, Ayudha puja and Vijayadashami. So, i like to share some of my favourite songs on Goddess Durga, Saraswathi and Lakshmi prior to the festival.
-Bhavana.