Dashain symbolizes the victory of justice over evil. According to legend, Durga, the goddess of castration with eighteen hands and ten incarnations, dressed in a red robe, riding a lion or tiger, holding different magic weapons in each hand, backed by the gods, fought fiercely Buffalo Mahishasura for nine days and nights, and finally killed the demon and saved the kingdom of heaven. In order to commemorate the merits of Durga, the Kingdom of Nepal respected her as the "sacred protector", and animal sacrifices became the most common and solemn ritual.
Buddhists celebrate the nepalese dashain festival in Nepal to commemorate King Ashoka's promotion of Buddhism and non-killing.
In India, Dashain is to commemorate Rama's (the chief character in the Hindu epic) victory over the Ravana.