Free Dussehra worksheets for children, with seven printable activities that use real Dussehra words, from Rama and Ravana to the bow, the arrow and the effigy. Print a word search in three levels, bingo cards, a word scramble, a “how many words can you make” page, an acrostic poem, a writing prompt and a fold-up Dussehra card, each with an answer key where one is needed.
Coming up next: Diwali, Bhai Dooj, Children's Day, Chhath Puja and Guru Nanak Jayanti
Diwali (Sunday 8 November)
Bhai Dooj (Wednesday 11 November)
- Bhai Dooj quiz and games
- Bhai Dooj drawing and coloring pages
- Bhai Dooj wishes
- Bhai Dooj rangoli designs
Children's Day (Saturday 14 November)
- Children's Day quiz
- Children's Day drawing and coloring pages
- Children's Day worksheets
- Children's Day speech
Chhath Puja (Sunday 15 November)
- Chhath Puja quiz
- Chhath Puja drawing and coloring pages
- Chhath Puja wishes
- Why Chhath Puja is celebrated
Guru Nanak Jayanti (Tuesday 24 November)
Dussehra worksheets to print (PDF)
These four pages show what the Dussehra maker prints: a medium word search with a word list, two bingo cards on a page, an acrostic poem for the letters of VICTORY, and the fold-up card that says “Happy Dussehra!” Click a picture for the PDF.
Prefer one download? Get the whole Dussehra activity pack (PDF, 10 pages) with every activity and the answer keys, or make your own version with new puzzles in the maker below.
About Dussehra: the festival at a glance
A little background makes the words on the page mean more. Here are the basic facts that go with these worksheets:
| When | The tenth day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Ashvin, usually in late September or October. In 2026 it is on Tuesday 20 October |
|---|---|
| Other name | Vijayadashami, which means “victory on the tenth day” |
| Comes after | Navratri, nine nights of prayer, music and dance |
| Celebrated by | Hindus across India and Nepal, and many families around the world |
| Symbols | Ravana effigies, the bow and arrow, Ramlila plays and fireworks |
| Main idea | The victory of good over evil |
The story of Dussehra in brief
Dussehra marks the end of Navratri. In much of North India, it celebrates the story from the Ramayana in which Prince Rama of Ayodhya defeats Ravana, the ten-headed king of Lanka. Ravana had carried away Rama’s wife, Sita. With his brother Lakshmana, the devoted Hanuman and an army of monkeys (the vanaras), Rama built a bridge across the sea to Lanka, fought a long battle and won. The word Dussehra is often explained as “the defeat of the ten-headed one.”
Stories differ by region. In West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and many eastern states, the same day ends Durga Puja and remembers the goddess Durga’s victory over the buffalo demon Mahishasura. In Mysuru in Karnataka, Dasara is a grand state festival with a procession of decorated elephants. Both stories share one idea: good wins over evil in the end.
Wikipedia’s Vijayadashami article describes how the festival is celebrated in different parts of India and Nepal.
What is in the Dussehra activity pack?
Every activity uses the same list of 24 Dussehra words, so children meet each word several times in different ways. The list is the heart of the pack: the word search hides it, the scramble mixes up 12 of the words, the bingo calls them out and the writing prompt asks children to use them.
- Word search: easy, medium and hard grids, with an answer key.
- Dussehra bingo: as many cards as you need, plus caller cards to cut out and pull from a bag.
- Word scramble: unscramble the festival words, with a key.
- How many words can you make? Build small words from the letters of a big one.
- Acrostic poem: write a word or line for each letter of VICTORY.
- Writing prompt: “Dussehra celebrates good winning over evil. Write about a time you chose to do the right thing.”
- Greeting card: a fold-up card that says “Happy Dussehra!”
Dussehra word search: three levels
The Dussehra word search comes in easy, medium and hard grids, with 10, 14 and 18 words from the list. On the easy grid the words go across and down. On the medium grid they also go diagonally, and on the hard grid they go in every direction, even backwards.
The longest Dussehra words are lakshmana, fireworks and celebrate with 9 letters, and the shortest word is bow with 3.
Dussehra vocabulary: words to talk about
Take a few minutes to talk about the words before children search for them. Here is every word in the list with a simple meaning:
| Word | Letters | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| dussehra | 8 | The festival on the tenth day after Navratri begins, which celebrates good winning over evil |
| rama | 4 | The prince of Ayodhya and the hero of the Ramayana |
| sita | 4 | Rama’s wife, who was carried away to Lanka by Ravana |
| ravana | 6 | The ten-headed king of Lanka in the Ramayana |
| hanuman | 7 | A brave and loyal helper of Rama, who found Sita in Lanka |
| lakshmana | 9 | Rama’s younger brother, who went with him into the forest |
| bow | 3 | A curved weapon used to shoot arrows; Rama is usually shown holding one |
| arrow | 5 | A thin stick with a point, shot from a bow |
| victory | 7 | Winning; the “vijaya” in Vijayadashami |
| effigy | 6 | A large model of a person; tall effigies of Ravana are burned on Dussehra |
| ramlila | 7 | A play that acts out the story of Rama, often over several nights before Dussehra |
| durga | 5 | A Hindu goddess who, in the story, defeats the demon Mahishasura |
| navratri | 8 | The nine nights of prayer and dance that come just before Dussehra |
| ayodhya | 7 | Rama’s home city and kingdom |
| lanka | 5 | Ravana’s island kingdom across the sea |
| festival | 8 | A special time when people celebrate together |
| goodness | 8 | Being kind, fair and honest |
| truth | 5 | What is real and honest, not a lie |
| courage | 7 | Being brave even when you feel afraid |
| bridge | 6 | Something built to cross water; Rama’s army built one to reach Lanka |
| monkeys | 7 | The vanaras, Rama’s army of monkey helpers in the story |
| fireworks | 9 | Bright, loud lights in the sky; many effigies are filled with them |
| dashami | 7 | The tenth day of the moon’s cycle; the “dashami” in Vijayadashami |
| celebrate | 9 | To do something happy and special for an important day |
How people celebrate Dussehra
- Watching Ramlila plays in the evenings before Dussehra. UNESCO lists the Ramlila as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage
- Burning tall effigies of Ravana, often with his brother Kumbhakarna and son Meghnad, in open grounds after dark
- Ending Durga Puja in eastern India, when images of the goddess are taken to rivers and ponds
- Watching the Mysuru Dasara elephant procession, or the week-long Kullu Dussehra fair in Himachal Pradesh
- Exchanging leaves of the apta tree as “gold” in Maharashtra, and visiting family to share sweets
Dussehra activities for kids to do with the worksheets
Pair the printed pages with a hands-on idea, and the vocabulary sticks:
- Paper bow and arrow: make a bow from a bent strip of card and a string, with a paper arrow (keep it soft and blunt).
- Mini Ramlila: act out one short scene, such as Hanuman finding Sita, using paper crowns and the word list as a script helper.
- Good choices tree: after the writing prompt, each child adds a paper leaf with one good choice they made.
- Bridge challenge: build a bridge from paper, straws or blocks, like the vanaras’ bridge to Lanka, and test it with coins.
- Bingo in class: play Dussehra bingo, and ask the child who calls “Bingo!” to say what each word on the line means.
A note for families and teachers
Dussehra has different stories and meanings in different communities. In some places it is about Rama, in others about the goddess Durga, and in some places Ravana is also respected as a learned king. The word list is a gentle introduction to the festival, and families who celebrate it may want to add their own traditions. Children of every background can enjoy the main idea: choosing what is good and true.
How to use these Dussehra worksheets in five minutes
The worksheet maker works from the 24-word Dussehra list, so whichever page you print uses the same words. Choose an activity, set the level and press Download PDF or Print, and press New puzzles for a fresh set. For a full lesson, start with the word search, read the story aloud, then finish with the acrostic poem or the writing prompt. For older children, add our Dussehra quiz for kids with 25 questions and answers.
Further reading: Vijayadashami (Wikipedia) and Ramlila (UNESCO).
Frequently asked questions
5 quick answers
When is Dussehra in 2027?
Dussehra 2027 falls on Saturday 9 October 2027, according to Drik Panchang for New Delhi. In West Bengal and some other places, Vijaya Dashami may be kept a day later, on 10 October, so check your local calendar. In 2026, Dussehra is on Tuesday 20 October.
What does Dussehra mean?
Dussehra is often explained as “the defeat of the ten-headed one,” meaning Ravana. Its other name, Vijayadashami, means “victory on the tenth day.”
Why is Ravana’s effigy burned on Dussehra?
Burning the effigy shows the victory of good over evil, in memory of Rama’s win over Ravana in the Ramayana. The effigies are often filled with fireworks.
What age are these Dussehra worksheets for kids?
The easy word search, the card and the bingo suit children from about 5 to 7. The medium and hard grids, the scramble and the writing prompt suit children from about 8 to 12.
Are these Dussehra printables free?
Yes. Every page is free to print at home or in class, as many times as you like. Press New puzzles for a different word search, scramble or set of bingo cards.
Find the right page
Dussehra bingo
Dussehra bingo prints two cards on each page, each with the words in a different order, plus caller cards to cut out. Choose how many cards you need for your class or family.
Dussehra word search printable
The word search comes in easy, medium and hard grids with 10, 14 and 18 words, and an answer key page for each, so one sheet can suit a whole class.
Dussehra card for kids
The Dussehra card is a fold-up card with the greeting “Happy Dussehra!” on the front, a space to draw and a message inside. Print it, color it and fold it in four.
More holiday worksheets
- Dussehra Quiz for Kids: 25 questions with answers on the story of Rama and Ravana
- 10 lines on Dussehra for school writing
- Ramayana quiz for kids
- Diwali worksheets for the festival of lights that follows
- Navratri bingo cards
- All holiday worksheets for more holidays and seasons
- Word search generator for your own words
For a quieter activity, print our Dussehra coloring pages: Ravan, Lord Ram, Hanuman, a Dussehra fair and a bow and arrow, in US Letter and A4.
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