On Vijayadashami, West Bengal bids farewell to Goddess Durga with the vibrant Sindur Khela ritual, where married women smear vermilion on each other, praying for prosperity, long life, and family harmony
Durga Puja in West Bengal ends with Vijayadashami, when devotees immerse Goddess Durga’s idol, marking her return to Mount Kailash. Sindur Khela is a key ritual during this farewell. (Photo: X)
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Sindur Khela, or “the game of vermilion,” involves married women applying sindoor on the goddess and then on each other, praying for prosperity, long life for their husbands, and protection for children. (Photo: X)
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In Hindu tradition, vermilion represents marriage. By applying it, women honor their family roles and celebrate womanhood and protective strength. (Photo: X)
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The ritual likely started around 200 years ago in wealthy zamindar households and gradually became popular in community pujas across Bengal. (Photo: X)
Participating in Sindur Khela is believed to protect women from widowhood, strengthen their family roles, and promote harmony in the community.
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The ceremony has steps: worshipping the goddess, touching her face with betel leaves, smearing sindoor, and exchanging sweets among participants. (Photo: X)
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Beyond religious significance, Sindur Khela fosters bonding among women, symbolizing both a playful farewell to the goddess and the collective strength and unity of women. 8. (Photo: X)
