Dasarapedia: History, Heritage and Practices

Rightly titled Dasarapedia, gives an exhaustive account of the festival of Dasara, celebrated annually across the country under different names, both as a ritual and a festival. The celebrations begin on the first, and end on the tenth day, of the lunar month of Asvini, corresponding to the Christian months of September-October, and synchronizing with the last phase of the first rainy season. The first nine-day celebrations are called Navaratri, and that of the tenth day, the Dasami. As the names indicate, it is a night and day festival, involving pomp and splendour, fireworks and festoons, fasts and penance, loyalty and patronage, sports and pastime, which allow little time for the celebrators either to rest or to nap. It marks the celebration of the victory of good over bad, the hero over the villain, and the fall of evil before the divine. In the book, all these events about Dasara are not only assembled systematically but have conveyed the changes that have taken place in them during the past centuries. In lucid and simple language, he has conveyed everything that one wants to know about this annual festival. He has made his narrative more attractive by adding appropriate illustrations in proper places. I am sure that this book will be welcomed by the readers who are interested in our heritage and particularly those in this great annual Festival.