This Dussehra quiz has 25 questions with answers about the story of Ram and Ravan and how the festival is celebrated across India, sorted into easy, medium and hard rounds. Dussehra (Vijayadashami) 2026 falls on Tuesday 20 October, so the questions work for class assemblies, family quiz nights and the Navratri week before.
Every answer here matches the Ramayana as it is usually told, and the regional facts come from official and UNESCO sources. When your class finishes, keep the fun going with our online India GK quiz, which checks answers automatically.
The questions are new, so they do not repeat our Diwali quiz questions or the Gandhi Jayanti quiz. Use all three for a festival-season quiz series.
Dussehra quiz at a glance
Pick the rounds of this Dussehra quiz for kids that suit your group. Younger children can stop after the easy round; older classes can play all 25 questions in about 30 minutes.
| Round | Questions | Best for | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 1 to 8 | Ages 5 to 7 (KG to Class 2) | Main characters, Navratri, effigies |
| Medium | 9 to 17 | Ages 8 to 10 (Classes 3 to 5) | Key events in the Ramayana |
| Hard | 18 to 25 | Ages 11 and up (Classes 6 to 8) | Authors, lesser-known heroes, regional festivals |
The story of Ram and Ravan in brief
Read this short summary aloud before the quiz so every child starts with the same story. It also works as a warm-up for any Ramayana quiz for kids.
Prince Ram of Ayodhya was the eldest son of King Dasharatha. Queen Kaikeyi used two boons the king had promised her to demand that Ram go into exile and that her son Bharata rule instead. Ram left for the forest with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, while Bharata ruled on Ram’s behalf with Ram’s sandals on the throne.
In the forest, Ravana, the ten-headed king of Lanka, tricked Ram using Maricha disguised as a golden deer, and carried Sita away. With the vanara king Sugriva, Hanuman and their army, Ram searched for her. Hanuman found Sita in the Ashoka grove and gave her Ram’s ring. The vanaras built a bridge to Lanka, and after a long war, Ram defeated Ravana. In much of North India, Dussehra celebrates that victory.
Easy Dussehra quiz questions for kids (ages 5 to 7)
These first eight questions cover the names and symbols children see at a Ram Lila. Accept close spellings, such as Ravan or Ravana.
- What is the other well-known name for Dussehra?
Answer: Vijayadashami - How many heads is Ravana usually shown with?
Answer: Ten - What are the nine nights of festival just before Dussehra called?
Answer: Navratri (Navaratri) - Which weapon is Ram almost always shown carrying?
Answer: A bow and arrows - What does burning Ravana’s effigy on Dussehra stand for?
Answer: The victory of good over evil - Who was Ram’s father, the king of Ayodhya?
Answer: King Dasharatha - Which giant brother of Ravana is famous for sleeping for months at a time?
Answer: Kumbhakarna - Which brave vulture tried to stop Ravana from carrying Sita away?
Answer: Jatayu
Medium round: the story in order (ages 8 to 10)
The middle round follows the Ramayana in order, from the palace in Ayodhya to the war in Lanka, so it doubles as a Ramayana quiz for kids and a story recap.
- What does the word “Vijayadashami” mean?
Answer: “Victory on the tenth day” (vijaya = victory, dashami = tenth day) - Which queen asked King Dasharatha to send Ram away to the forest?
Answer: Queen Kaikeyi, so that her son Bharata would rule - What did Bharata place on Ayodhya’s throne while Ram was away?
Answer: Ram’s sandals (paduka) - Which of Ravana’s sisters quarrelled with Ram and Lakshmana in the forest?
Answer: Shurpanakha - Maricha took the shape of which animal to lure Ram away from Sita?
Answer: A golden deer - What did Hanuman give Sita to prove that Ram had sent him?
Answer: Ram’s signet ring - In which garden in Lanka was Sita kept?
Answer: The Ashoka grove (Ashoka Vatika) - Which of Ravana’s brothers left him and joined Ram’s side?
Answer: Vibhishana - What is a Ram Lila?
Answer: A play that acts out the story of Ram, usually over the days leading up to Dussehra
Hard round: texts and regional customs (ages 11 and up)
The hard round of this Dussehra quiz with answers adds the texts behind the story and the ways different regions celebrate. It suits Classes 6 to 8 and adult teams.
- Which sage is traditionally named as the author of the Sanskrit Ramayana?
Answer: Valmiki - Most Ram Lila plays are based on which 16th-century Hindi retelling by Tulsidas?
Answer: The Ramcharitmanas - Ravana’s son Meghnad had another name meaning “conqueror of Indra”. What was it?
Answer: Indrajit - Which two vanaras led the building of the bridge to Lanka?
Answer: Nala and Nila - Why did Hanuman carry a whole mountain back to Lanka?
Answer: He could not pick out the Sanjeevani herb needed to heal Lakshmana, so he brought the whole mountain - In West Bengal and much of eastern India, Vijayadashami ends Durga Puja. Which demon did Durga defeat?
Answer: Mahishasura, the buffalo demon - Which goddess rides on the golden howdah in the Jamboo Savari procession of Mysuru Dasara?
Answer: Goddess Chamundeshwari - Kullu Dussehra in Himachal Pradesh starts on Vijayadashami. How many days does it last?
Answer: Seven days
How Dussehra is celebrated across India
Several hard questions depend on one important fact: the festival is not the same everywhere. According to the overview of Vijayadashami on Wikipedia, in many northern, central and western states it ends the Ram Lila and marks Ram’s victory over Ravana, while in eastern, north-eastern and southern states it ends Durga Puja and celebrates the goddess Durga’s victory over Mahishasura.
| Region | Dussehra celebrations | What a Dussehra quiz could ask |
|---|---|---|
| North India (e.g. Delhi, Uttar Pradesh) | Ram Lila plays end with effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad burnt at dusk | Which three effigies are burnt? |
| West Bengal and eastern India | Durga Puja ends; clay images of the goddess are immersed in the river | Which demon did Durga defeat? |
| Mysuru, Karnataka | Mysuru Dasara: palace lit every evening, Jamboo Savari elephant procession on Vijayadashami | Which goddess rides the golden howdah? |
| Kullu, Himachal Pradesh | Fair and procession for the deity Raghunath, starting on Vijayadashami | How many days does it last? |
Ram Lila and Durga Puja: two UNESCO-listed traditions
UNESCO added Ramlila to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2008. It describes the plays as based on Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, usually lasting ten to twelve days, though some, such as the Ramnagar Ram Lila, can last a whole month. Durga Puja in Kolkata joined the same list in 2021: a ten-day worship of the goddess, with images made from Ganga river clay and immersed on the tenth day.
Mysuru Dasara
The official Mysuru Dasara website traces the royal celebration to 1610, when Raja Wadiyar I first held it at Srirangapatna. Its grand finale is the Jamboo Savari, when Goddess Chamundeshwari is carried through the city in a golden howdah on the lead elephant. In 2026 the official schedule places Vijayadashami and the procession on Wednesday 21 October, a day after the national holiday, because regional calendars can differ on the exact day.
Ravana’s ten heads
Ravana is described in the Ramayana as having ten heads, and one of his names, Dashanana, means “ten-headed”. He is also remembered as a great scholar and a devoted follower of Shiva, and some communities honour him rather than burn him. Explain this to older children: the effigy stands for evil, but the stories around Ravana are richer than a simple villain.
Adapting the questions for different ages
The same 25 questions can be made easier or harder without writing new ones.
- Ages 4 to 6: turn questions into picture choices. Show three pictures (a bow, a drum, a kite) and ask which one Ram carries.
- Ages 6 to 8: give three spoken options. “Was the brave bird Jatayu, Garuda or a parrot?”
- Ages 9 to 11: read the question only, then award a bonus point if a team can add one extra detail, such as who killed Indrajit (Lakshmana).
- Ages 12 and up: ask teams to put eight answers in story order, from Kaikeyi’s demand to the bridge to Lanka.
For a writing task afterwards, ask children to retell one scene from the point of view of Jatayu, Hanuman or Vibhishana. It checks understanding better than another round of questions.
A simple plan for running the quiz in class
This plan fits a 35 to 40 minute lesson or assembly slot.
- Tell the story (5 minutes). Read the summary above or ask pupils to retell what they know.
- Make teams. Teams of four mix confident and quieter children; give each a name such as Team Hanuman or Team Jatayu.
- Play the easy round aloud (8 minutes). Teams write answers on a whiteboard or scrap paper and hold them up together.
- Play the medium and hard rounds (15 minutes). Read each question twice and allow 30 seconds. For younger classes, offer three answer options.
- Mark as you go. Use this Dussehra quiz with answers as your key: one point per answer; accept spelling variants such as Ravan, Raavan and Ravana.
- Finish with a talk (5 minutes). Ask how Dussehra is celebrated in each child’s family or region, and add one more fact to the board.
Tips: be sensitive to mixed classes by presenting Dussehra as a festival some classmates celebrate, not an assumption. If children talk about watching effigies burn, remind them to watch from a safe distance at public events.
From quiz to festival party
After the quiz, a round of tambola is an easy way to keep a family or class busy. Print free tickets with the tambola ticket generator, call numbers with the online tambola number caller, or use the festive Navratri tambola theme for the week before Dussehra. New to the game? Read how to play tambola. For colouring, word puzzles and festival activities through to Diwali on 8 November, see the Diwali worksheets.
Related guides and printables
- 60 Diwali quiz questions with answers
- Gandhi Jayanti quiz for school
- General knowledge quiz for kids
- Printable Navratri bingo cards
- Hindu festival dates for 2027
Sources
- Dussehra 2026 date: India’s public holiday list as published in the open-source holidays library (Tuesday 20 October 2026)
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Ramlila, the traditional performance of the Ramayana (2008); Durga Puja in Kolkata (2021)
- Mysuru Dasara, official website of the festival (history and 2026 schedule)
- Wikipedia: Vijayadashami, with its cited sources, for regional customs; Ramayana plot details as told in Valmiki’s Ramayana
Frequently asked questions
6 quick answers
When is Dussehra in 2026?
Dussehra (Vijayadashami) is on Tuesday 20 October 2026 on India’s public holiday list. Some regional calendars, including the official Mysuru Dasara schedule, mark it on Wednesday 21 October.
What are some easy Dussehra quiz questions with answers?
Try: What is another name for Dussehra? (Vijayadashami). How many heads does Ravana have? (Ten). What are the nine nights before Dussehra called? (Navratri). Which bird tried to save Sita? (Jatayu).
Why do people burn Ravana on Dussehra?
Burning the effigy of Ravana, often with Kumbhakarna and Meghnad, celebrates Ram’s victory and stands for the victory of good over evil.
Why are there 10 heads on Ravana?
The Ramayana describes Ravana with ten heads, and his name Dashanana means “ten-headed”. Popular explanations of what the heads stand for vary, so present them as interpretations, not facts.
Is Dussehra the same as Durga Puja?
They are linked but not the same. In eastern India, Vijayadashami is the last day of Durga Puja and celebrates Durga’s victory over Mahishasura; in much of North India it marks Ram’s victory over Ravana.
How do I make a Dussehra quiz for school?
Use 20 to 25 questions in three rounds, easy to hard, play in teams of four and finish with a short discussion of how families celebrate. The 25 Dussehra quiz questions above are ready to print.