Vijayadashami symbolizes the victory of good over evil

Durga Puja is concluded with Vijayadashami, also known as Dussehra in India. The day marks the victory of Goddess Durga over demon Mahisasur. The day also celebrates the victory of Lord Rama over ten-headed demon king Ravana. To mark this event, the effigy of Ravana is burnt symbolizing the victory of Rama-the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu over the demon king.
The name Dussehra is derived from Sanskrit word Dasha-hara, which literally means removal of ten (Dasha) and Hara (defeat).
Durga idols along with Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesh and Karthik are immersed in nearby lakes and rivers with all the excitement and tears of the devotees after three days of worship. Notably, the immersion ceremony symbolizes the end of the goddess's annual sojourn to her paternal home and she returns to her husband Lord Shiva at their heavenly abode in Mount Kailash.
In the morning, married women smears each other, the goddess as well as her children with red vermilion (sindoor) and offers sweets, prays for the well-being of their families and long lives of their husbands. In the evening, the colorful processions are accompanied with the sound of the drums and the dance of the mob. The banks of the rivers wears a festive look on this occasion. Numerous devotees, including the young and the old joins hands to gently lower the idols into the river. A sudden element of emptiness descends at the end of the biggest celebration as the devotees consoles themselves by proclaiming “Asche bochor abar hobe”.
Babughat in Central Kolkata is a popular site for immersion. It is the centre of attraction as it draws a large number of people, even from abroad to witness this event. Apart from common people, leading actors and actresses of the regional film industry lends their hands for the immersion. By late afternoon, most of the idols in residential apartments or houses of one-time zamindars in the city are immersed after being carried manually according to the tradition.
Long queues before sweet shops can be spotted as people starts visiting relatives and friends to wish each other Shubho Bijaya meaning Happy Bijaya Dashami.