- Married Bengali women smear Vermilion to bid farewell to Maa Durga & wish prosperity
- Thousands in red and white sarees turn pandals into seas of color & joy on Vijayadashami
- Mumbai adds music & causes, Agartala stays rooted, urban hubs like Delhi & Bengaluru rediscover heritage
As the final chants of Durga Puja filled pandals across the country on Thursday, October 2, 2025, women in red-bordered white sarees gathered with plates of vermilion to perform a ritual as old as memory, Sindur Khela, making the culmination filled with devotion, color, and evolving meanings. Traditionally, a ritual in which married Bengali Hindu women smear vermilion on each other to wish for prosperity and marital bliss, Sindur Khela has evolved into a broader celebration of feminine power, solidarity, and cultural continuity.
In Kolkata, the epicenter of Durga Puja, thousands of women draped in red and white sarees turned the ritual into a breathtaking spectacle of devotion and festivity. The traditional 'Baran' ritual, bidding farewell to Goddess Durga, was followed by laughter, music, and an explosion of vermilion across temple courtyards and pandals.
Beyond Bengal, the ritual carried diverse expressions. In Mumbai, Bengali cultural associations gave Sindur Khela a cosmopolitan twist, blending it with dance, music, and social causes. In Agartala and other parts of the Northeast, temple-centered celebrations upheld deeply rooted traditions, while in Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru, and other urban hubs, younger generations embraced the ritual as a way to reconnect with heritage.
What was once limited to married women has also seen contemporary shifts with widows, unmarried women, and even members of the LGBTQ+ community joining in some regions, reflecting a growing inclusivity in interpretation.
Scenes of joy echoed nationwide as women smeared each other with vermilion in New Delhi, Prayagraj, Patna, and Ajmer, each city adding its own cultural flavor to the ritual. In every location, the symbolism remained clear that Sindur Khela is not just a farewell to the goddess, but a reaffirmation of sisterhood and the goddess within every woman.
