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style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Dussehra celebrations are on in full swing across the country. While the festivities may go by different names in different states, the fervour and enthusiasm remain the same.
style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Goddess Durga is worshipped in West Bengal, whereas it is Devi Chamundeswari I Karnataka. Gujarat celebrates with the colourful Dandiya Raas and Golu dolls find a special place in homes across Tamil Nadu.
![30kulasekharapatnam-dusshera2.jpg]![30kulasekharapatnam-dusshera6.jpg](style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Located 20 km from Tiruchendur in Tuticorin district, this quaint village comes alive during the 10-day Dussehra festivals. Over 15 lakh devotees visit the temple every year.
 in the town and plenty of goldsmiths resided in the area. It was their custom to pray that they considered their deity. The deity had no form during that period.
It was only much later, in the 1900s, due to the efforts of Siddhar Ayyadurai (a saint) that the idol of the present deity came into being;
Dussehra began to be celebrated in the temple in the early 19th century.
A unique feature of the celebrations in this temple is that devotees visit the temple in an avatar of their choice. They could be dressed as kings or beggars, monkeys or demons, but the more popular are different forms of the Devi.
Sivamani says the reason for this is that normally during Navratri, most homes in Tamil Nadu display Golu dolls.
The theory is that God can be found in any form, or rather, that God resides in every form, however humble.
They believe that during Dussehra, God will come to their home in some form and bless them. This very same idea is followed in principle at the Mutharamman Temple. But instead of dolls, we have real people.
He further added that once in costume, the devotees have to beg for alms to sustain themselves.
