Happy Dussehra
Dussehra 1741
Bhosales of Nagpur began their campaign to liberate Jagannath Puri
On Vijayadashami, military campaign would start after worshipping weapons and the Shami tree.
Pandavas in Mahabharat had hid their weapons in a Shami tree and took them after their exile to go to war
Pic credit : ePhotoCorp
Theology apart, it made sound practical sense to launch campaigns from this date.
It usually falls in September - October.
Monsoons have ended, water bodies are full. Crops are standing or just harvested.
Roads are dry and accessible.
The monsoons was a difficult time to move around. Added to it was the problem of diseases and epidemics (which were common in cramped military camps of those days) .
The summers had their own problems.
Hence most campaigns began on Dusshera and arrived at their conclusion few months later in Feb - April period.
Painting : Mahishasur Mardini
Read about Palkhed and many other battles in Battles of the Maratha Empire
To understand the full enormity of this, read Battles of the Maratha Empire
google.com/amp/s/swarajya…
Gifts given in 1794 for Dussehra
Ref : Poona in Bygone Days
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