People celebrate Dussehra and Gandhi Jayanti together in 2025, marking a rare overlap of tradition, history and cultural significance (Photo: AI generated)
October 2, 2025 will hold a special meaning for India that the date is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti whereas in 2025, it will mark a celebration of Dussehra. This rare overlap draws together two events that symbolize peace and victory in their own ways. Gandhi Jayanti is a fixed position in the Gregorian calendar while Dussehra is a shifting one according to the Hindu lunisolar calendar and causing rare moments like this one when the two coincide.
A day revering Mahatma Gandhi called Father of The Nation is called as Gandhi Jayanti. Non-violence, civil disobedience and truth were the cardinal philosophies in India's war for independence. Every October 2nd, prayer meets cultural activities and community projects held throughout the country salute his living legacy with Gandhi's message resonates across the world as a constant reminder of peace's power in resolving conflict.
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The festival celebrates as the victory of good over evil also called Vijayadashami. In northern India, it is the celebration of Lord Rama's victory over Ravana through Ramleela plays and the burning of effigies of Ravana. In Bengal it coincides with the Durga Visarjan, celebrating the conquest of the demon Mahishasura by Goddess Durga in grandeur. Dussehra is embodying courage and justice in India’s festive season culminating in Diwali.
It has occurred before in 2006, when both Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra fell on the same day with such coincidences only reinforce the fascinating manner in which India's fixed and shifting calendars occasionally come together to create shared moments of festivity.
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The lunar calendar governs the workings of the Hindu calendar to get it aligned with the solar year, an extra month is added called Adhik Maas about once every three years. This adjustment keeps major festivals in sync with their respective seasons without this correction, festivals like Diwali or Holi may one day drift away from their traditional seasonal corporate associations.
A lunar year comprises about 354 days and it is shorter than the 365 day solar year of the Gregorian system by 10-11 days. This difference is responsible for the apparent advancement of Hindu festivals every year in the English calendar. The very gradual build-up of this gap over the years makes a few years appear on the early or late sides for the festival celebrations compared to the fixed calendar that was being used in daily life by most of us.
Planetary positions and lunar positions will cause festivals to be celebrated earlier in the Gregorian calendar this year in 2025. According to the Hindu calendar, these celebrations are right on time what we see as an early Dussehra merely reflects the two different systems of timekeeping in their natural rhythm where they intersect.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes on cultural and religious dates. Interpretations are based on calendar traditions and expert references.
