Durga festivities kick off in City

Married women play with vermilion on Sindhur Khela, the final day

Bangalore’s cosmopolitan crowd is celebrating the nine-day festival in their own unique way. On Thursday, it was the turn of the Bengalee Association to celebrate the installation of Goddess Durga idol on Mahashasthi.  

Durga pooja begins with Mahashasthi, when pendals or tents are put up, where the Goddess Durga’s idol is placed followed by rituals for the next four days.  Unveiling the idol’s face is the main ritual of Mahashasthi, followed by pooja. The most important days that mark Durga pooja are Maha Saptami, Maha Asthami, Maha Navami, and Vijay Dashami.

On Vijay Dashami, the final day, the idol is immersed in a water body signifying the return of goddess Durga to her husband Lord Shiva in Kailash, marking the victory of good over evil. The day is also called Sindhur Khela, where married women are seen playing with vermilion.