Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, is one of the most important Hindu festivals celebrated on the tenth day of Ashvin month, according to the Hindu calendar. It is celebrated throughout the country with great zeal and enthusiasm. It is believed that it was on this day that Lord Rama killed the demon-king Ravana and rescued his abducted wife Sita. Dussehra celebration spreads the message of the victory of good over evil.
This festival is celebrated in varied traditions across India wherein few of the local events include performing Ramlila (a short version of Ramayana) in Northern India, a procession including goddess Chamundeshwari on a throne mounted on elephants in the town of Mysore, the preparation of special foods like luchi (deep fried flat bread) and alur dom (deep fried spiced potato snack) in Bengal and the blessing the house-hold and work related tools like books and vehicles in the state of Karnataka. Originating in Western India, Dandiya Raas and Garba are the featured dances of the Navaratri evenings.
On this auspicious day, we bring to you on a patent as disclosed in US20080068820A1 that deals with “A light stick used in a traditional dance comprising an elongated impact resistant body having a striking surface and at least one light source imbedded in the body. It consists of an electronic circuit for controlling the light source and a power source for powering the electronic circuit and the light source may also be incorporated in the body. The light source is placed set back to the striking surface. The electronic circuit and the power source are contained within the body. A method of providing a special effect to a traditional dance comprises the step of illuminating a surface of the impact-resistant stick with imbedded lights”.
The striking portion is solid instead of being hollow and allows the light to be directly imbedded in. Futher, the Dandiya stick in the present invention does not get damaged when struck against another Dandiya stick and retains its appearance throughout.
Happy Dussehra to all our readers. Enjoy the wonderful festivities and the delectable dishes prepared especially for the occasion.
Authored by Anjali Santhosh.
