West Bengal: Women bid farewell to Maa Durga by celebrating 'Sindoor Khela'

Women celebrated the last day of Durga Puja, also called Maha Dashami or Vijayadashmi, by participating in ‘Sindoor Khela’ in Siliguri on Oct 02. Foreigners also took part in the celebrations held in Kolkata. Notably, Sindoor Khela is celebrated by women applying vermilion to idol and then smearing it onto one another, and marks the end of the Durga Puja. The day also symbolises the return of the Goddess to her celestial abode. “... It has been very nice. There are big themed pandals like these ones, and there are more local, smaller pandals, but both are very beautiful in different ways... It's a big community feeling and beautiful decorations...,” Foreign Tourist.