After celebrations for Navratri, it is time to bid adieu to Goddess Durga on the occasion of Vijay Dashami today, a day that marks the triumph of good over evil.
According to mythology on this day Goddess Durga annihilated the demon god Mahishasura after a fierce battle that lasted for nine days.
This day also marks Durga Visarjan or immersion of Durga idols signifying the journey of the Goddess back to Mount Kailash after ten days of stay at her parent's house on earth. Annually, Goddess Durga visits her paternal house with her four children in tow--Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartikeya and Ganesha.
On the last day of Durga Puja, married Bengali Hindu women participate in the 'Sindoor Khela' and the 'Dhunuchi' dance, a traditional dance form involving the use of an earthen incense burner. During the ritual, they apply 'sindoor', a sacred powder, on the forehead and feet of the goddess and offer sweets to her followed by applying sindoor on each other's faces.
During Sindoor Khela, the women apply Sindoor on the forehead of the Durga idol. They offer sweets to the idol before her Visarjana, which symbolises her return to Kailash, the abode of her husband, Lord Shiva.
Earlier, the ritual was pretty simple with married women applying indoor on the idol. Nowadays, women also apply Sindoor over each other’s faces and dance to the beats of the “Dhaki” drummers’ beats.
This Vijayadashami, women across India celebrated Sindoor Khela. Have a look.
Women participate in Sindoor Khela at a puja pandal on the last day of Durga Puja celebrations in Mumbai, Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. | BL Soni
Women participate in Sindoor Khela at a puja pandal on the last day of Durga Puja celebrations in Mumbai, Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. | BL Soni
Women participate in Sindoor Khela at a puja pandal on the last day of Durga Puja celebrations in Patna, Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. | PTI
Married women play Sindoor Khela before the immersion of Goddess Durga on the last day of Durga Puja and Vijaya Dashami festival in Greater Noida, Friday, Oct 15, 2021. | PTI
With inputs from ANI.
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