"This Dussehra, purify your heart, home, and vibrations."
Who won't remember the tales of Ravana and the chanting of the great Ramayana? Those were the moments that incorporated ethics (Sanskara) and love for spirituality and righteousness (Parmartha Chintan) in our subconscious mind.
It's that time of the year again! Dussehra is back, and we can finally hear the crackling flames of effigies, fireworks lighting up the skies, aromas of sweets and marigolds, and above all, the sense of new beginnings and scent of positivity. Clearly, it's not just a festival but also a ritual of purifying the self and the space around us. As you get ready to welcome victory over evil, consider this your invitation to clean out negativity from your home: the physical mess, emotional weight, and lingering energies.
One should remember that decluttering or festive cleaning does not mean to throw things away; it's about making room for grace, clarity, peace, and spaciousness. This blog is your sign to remove the old and invite the opportunity of replacements, better and more positive.
Dive into the blog to see what the top ten things you need to throw away this Dussehra. Because celebrations start from home!
1. Broken or Chipped Ceramics
Cracked, broken or chipped ceramics in your home do more than just look untidy; they are representatives of fragmentation and imbalance. Moreover, objects that are broken become an obstacle and disrupt the energy flow in your space. This may also invite feelings of incompleteness, emotional cracks, and unsettledness. Hence, during festive cleaning, you should simply throw them away.
The Spiritual POV: In Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui, broken items are said to disturb the positive flow of Prana (life energy). Lord Rama's victory is often represented with an intact and strong bow, which represents strength, unity, and wholeness. Keeping the broken objects is like holding onto fractured parts of your own energy field, breaking the harmony.
What to do?
1. Discard or recycle broken ceramics.
2. Replace the product with a more beautiful ceramic dinnerware.
3. Use it for some DIY activities.
2. Expired and Stale Pantry Item
This is your call to remove those forgotten food items during this festive cleaning, which are empty, too. These accents not only take up physical space but also bring stagnation and tamas (inertia) to your kitchen. Also, keeping stale or expired food items can energetically weigh down the household, making your home look dull.
The Spiritual POV: Ayurveda and the Indian wisdom say food is a carrier of guna (qualities) and has been worshipped as Ann (The element of Annapurna Maa). Furthermore, fresh food embodies sattva guna (purity and harmony), which promotes clarity of mind and body, but stale food, on the other hand, is linked with tamas guna, which dulls the senses and lowers vitality.
What to do?
1. Clear your pantry of expired items
2. Make mindful grocery planning your habit.
3. Use storage boxes to organise intentionally.
3. Unwanted or Dusty Decor
You see, decor items are not just decoration, but they are also the bridge to high energy. Objects that are dusty or broken, or no longer resonate with your taste, must be abandoned as they create a blockage for positive energy to flow into your space. This also prevents joy and prosperity from entering.
The Spiritual POV: In order to bring Shubh Labh (auspiciousness and profit) traditions, homes must be decluttered, and unclean objects should be cleaned thoroughly to attract positivity and positive energy. Refreshing decor symbolises rejuvenation and invites Shakti, or divine energy, which is creative and nurturing.
What To Do?
1. Dust, clean, or remove items that no longer serve you.
2. Add intentional decor like statues or figurines, wall art, to enhance the beauty.
3. Reuse them for functionality.
4. Piles of Paperwork and Old Bills
Household bills, unopened letters, and paperwork clutter your environment and weigh heavily on your subconscious. This physical clutter mirrors mental clutter, causing stress and reducing your ability to focus and manifest.
The Spiritual POV: Yogic teachings emphasise chitta shuddhi (purification of mind) as a prerequisite for meditation and spiritual growth. Physical disorder distracts the mind, reducing calm and clarity.
What to do?
1. Sort your paperwork regularly.
2. Digitise, shred, or file away important documents neatly.
3. Go for formal desk organisers to maintain order and peace.
5. Clothes and Accessories Not Worn
Clothes carry the energy of you and the experiences you have been through. They are not like a keeper of your energy and emotions. Keeping unworn or unwanted garments can hold onto outdated self-images or past emotional baggage. This prevents you from moving forward energetically.
The Spiritual POV: Beyond fashion, clothes serve as a necessity. The practice of wearing clean and fresh clothing during festivals is linked to attracting blessings and positive energy. Discarding clothes you no longer feel like wearing is a spiritual practice of Vairagya (Detachment), which is very important for growth and renewal.
What to do?
1. Donate or pass the clothes.
2. Wash and reuse it as grocery bags, table runners, diary covers, and other DIYs.
3. Use the cloth for cleaning purposes.
6. Tangled Wired and Unused Electronics
Old chargers, tangled cords, and unused electronic devices not only frustrate the mind but also clutter your home physically and energy-wise. Electronic devices release electromagnetic fields that can disrupt the energy of your space and ultimately affect your sleep, concentration, and overall well-being.
The Spiritual POV: According to Vastu Shastra, electric clutter brings in negative energy like restlessness and imbalance. Clearing this clutter improves the flow of Prana and brings in space for mental calmness.
What to do?
1. Dispose of or recycle these electronics.
2. Neatly organise necessary cords.
3. Sell it to a manufacturer, who can repurpose it.
7. Objects With Negative Memories
We often hold on to objects that are tied to painful memories or relationships. These objects not only trigger your memories but also carry heavy energetic imprints. Preserving such objects can cause emotional stagnation and block healing. This is your reminder to set your heart and space free by removing these objects in Dussehra home cleaning.
Spiritual Fact: The Bhagavad Gita guides us to the path of detachment, releasing attachment to material possessions linked with suffering, which helps free the mind and soul from unnecessary burdens, enabling liberation (moksha).
What to do?
1. React compassionately to such objects and remove them from your space with gratitude during festive cleaning.
2. You can also preserve them digitally, if you don't want to completely forget about them but remove their negative energy.
3. Transform their meaning by creating new and positive associations.
8. Cluttered Corners & Useless Furniture
Corners full of unused items or bulky furniture stop the flow of natural energy and light, making rooms feel cramped and suffocating. It is very important to remove these accents completely or replace them with functional and handmade home decor.
The Spiritual POV: Spaciousness in the home indicates clarity and space in the mind. Hence, it is very important to keep your decor intentional and precisely designed. A free-flowing environment invites Sattva energy, which is the prime source of clarity and harmony. This transformation in home purification is important for spiritual and emotional well-being.
What to do?
1. Remove unnecessary furniture or relocate items blocking pathways.
2. Fill open corners with simple, meaningful accents like minimal flower vases or design it with open shelves.
3. Resell it through C2C online platforms.
9. Improper Placement of Items
Mirrors in front of beds, furniture blocking doors, or heavy items placed over windows can create negative energy patterns, causing discomfort and imbalance. To let your home function systematically, you need to prioritise mindful organisation of your space over fancy or thrilling homes.
The Spiritual POV: Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui, i.e. both Indian and Chinese wisdom of lifestyle, focus on harmonising home organisation to promote prosperity, health, and peace. Proper placement ensures a smooth flow of energy and supports positive vibrations.
What to do?
1. Place your furniture and home decor thoughtfully.
2. Utilise art and furniture thoughtfully so that it does not disrupt natural energy and light.
3. For long walls where you can't hang photos, try adorning them with wall hanging accents.
Also read: Vastu Tips: How to Choose the Right Figurines & Statues for Your Home
10. Old Bathroom and Linen Items
Bathrooms are spaces of cleansing and renewal. Old objects like towels, mats, and soaps carry residual energy that might feel heavy or stale. This Dussehra, cleanse the most sensitive space of your space to remove negative energy and maintain the bare minimum hygiene factors. It is one of the most important energy cleansing rituals meant to be done before a festival.
The Spiritual POV: The Sanskrit principle of Shaucha (purity) throws light on the concept of cleanliness in body and mind for spiritual and inner progress. Clean, fresh linens and bathroom accessories invite freshness into your life.
What to do?
1. Replace worn linens and refresh bath accessories.
2. Go for sustainable solutions like DIY or repurposing.
3. Wash your bathroom dispensers, linens, napkins, and other accents frequently.
Final Thoughts
Revisit the tales of Dussehra with a different perspective. Let's unlearn the ten home decor mistakes that have been blocking the natural flow of energy in your space. Festive cleaning and decluttering during Diwali is much more than your seasonal deep cleaning; it's a ritual of releasing things that no longer serve you, your home, and your spiritual growth. Just like Lord Rama's victory over Ravana reminds us of the courage to let go and renew. Whether it's those photographs of the people that betrayed you or that washroom linen that no longer functions, it's time to let them go, for good.
Celebrate this Dussehra with these Home decluttering tips: clearing the old, welcoming the new, and filling your space with intention, beauty, and love. For the perfect pieces that embody mindful elegance, explore Kairaus, where every item is a story worth telling- of craftsmanship, intention, and soulful living.
