Ayudha Puja, observed on Navaratri's ninth day and followed by Vijayadasami, honors weapons and instruments as sacred across India, practiced historically by royalty and martial schools and today by armed forces and police. Linked Hindu and Sikh traditions interpret weapon worship allegorically, balancing duty, dharma and non-violence, while festivals like Mysore Dussehra and Thai Poosam preserve regional forms.
