Nation

Bengal bids farewell to Durga as rains drench sindoor khela, pandal hopping

Families celebrate by exchanging greetings, embracing, and sharing sweets, wishing prosperity until Durga’s return next year

Devotees bid farewell to Goddess Durga with idol immersion in Nadia on Vijaya Dashami.
Devotees bid farewell to Goddess Durga with idol immersion in Nadia on Vijaya Dashami. PTI

Vijaya Dashami, the grand finale of Durga Puja celebrations, was observed across West Bengal on Thursday, 2 October, blending devotion, colour, and emotion with the traditional rituals of ‘ghot visarjan’ (symbolic immersion) and the vibrant ‘sindoor khela’ — despite persistent rain that swept parts of the state.

In Kolkata, women draped in red-bordered sarees smeared each other with vermilion at community pujas such as Bagbazar and Kumartuli Sarbojonin, with state minister Sashi Panja also joining in the festivities.

The centuries-old ritual, where married women apply vermilion to the Goddess and to one another, symbolises prayers for their families’ well-being and long lives, creating a striking visual of sisterhood and devotion before the bittersweet farewell to Goddess Durga.

The symbolic immersion, a traditional ritual after the Dashami puja, was performed at iconic celebrations including Sobhabazar Rajbari, Kasimbazar Rajbari in Berhampur, and Belur Math, where monks and devotees carried out the proceedings with solemnity and devotion.

Published: undefined

However, the festive spirit in parts of south Bengal was somewhat dampened by intermittent showers triggered by a depression over the Bay of Bengal. The rain caused minor disruptions to the sindoor khela rituals and inconvenienced revellers who were out for last-minute pandal hopping before the final idol immersions.

One of the most poignant moments unfolded at Taki in North 24-Parganas, where the Ichamati river, which flows between India and Bangladesh, once again hosted its famed cross-border idol immersions. Thousands of people gathered on both banks of the river to watch idols of Goddess Durga being immersed, with the ritual serving as a cultural bridge between the two nations. This year, the Border Security Force (BSF) increased security to manage the massive turnout of visitors from both countries.

Durga Puja, Bengal’s biggest festival, celebrates the homecoming of Goddess Durga to her maternal home and concludes on Vijaya Dashami with her symbolic return to Mount Kailash. The day carries a dual essence — joy in the exuberant celebrations and sorrow in bidding farewell to the Mother Goddess. Families mark the occasion by exchanging greetings, embracing one another, and distributing sweets, wishing prosperity and togetherness until Durga’s return the following year.

Political leaders too joined in extending their greetings. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee urged for peace and harmony across the state, while leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari conveyed his wishes to the people on the festive occasion.

With PTI inputs

Published: undefined