The Kota Dussehra festival is held in the months of Ashwin of the Hindu calendar. It corresponds to the months September/October of the Christian calendar. It is an important festival of the Hindus and celebrated all over India but Kota celebrates Dussehra with absolute splendor and on a grand scale. Locals participate in the celebration with gusto but the place also gets large number of visitors from outside including foreigners just to be part of the grand celebrations.

About the Dussehra Celebrations in Kota

The festival of Dussehra in Kota is a huge fair where thousands of enthusiasts gather from Kota and even from adjacent districts gather to be part of the celebration, the scale of which is not comparable to other similar festivities that happen here at various times of the year. The fair is organized in large open places known as maidans. The festivities are marked by lots of color and joviality.

The Key Points of Attraction of the Kota Dussehra Festival

The high point of the Kota Dussehra festival is the setting ablaze of the 75 feet plus tall effigies of demons Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhakarana, the demon kings who were killed by the army of Lord Rama as an outcome of the long war over the abduction of Sita, the wife of Lord Rama. The festival is held to celebrate the victory of Lord Rama over demon Ravana as it symbolizes the triumph of the good over evil.

Other highlights of the Kota Dussehra festivals include the processions and the spectacular representations of the life and times of Lord Rama and other principle characters from the Ramayana. Another key attraction, especially for the children are the Vanar Sena or the army of monkeys. This army is headed by the popular Hindu monkey God, Hanuman.

The festivities end with the characters depicting Lord Rama, his younger brother Laxmana and Sita shoot fire-tipped arrows at the gigantic effigies that are full of firecrackers. The whole ground shudders with loud blasts as the three effigies blow up in a colossal ring of fire simultaneously with a deafening sound.

Why the Festival is Such a Major Tourist Attraction

Dussehra celebration is an old custom in Kota and has developed as a major attraction factor, not only for the locals but also for domestic and international tourists. It is not uncommon for people to schedule or plan their trips to coincide with these celebrations so that they can have a firsthand experience of this iconic celebration. The fair held on the celebration grounds, offer great business opportunities for traders and local craftsmen to sell and exhibit their product. Unlike other fairs held in various places in India. As against fairs held at other places in Rajasthan, which normally lasts for a day or two, the Kota Dussehra festivities last for a whole fortnight.

How to Reach Kota

By Air

Kota is 245 km from Jaipur airport and is the nearest airport from Kota.

By Rail

There are some very efficiently managed super fast train services running through Kota from various parts of the country. Kota lies on the Delhi-Mumbai route.

By Road

The main bus depot is located on Bundi Road. Bus services are also available from Ajmer, Chittorgarh, Jaipur, Udaipur, which are all about six hours away from Kota by road.