Women celebrate ‘Sindoor Khela’ in West Bengal on Vijaya Dashami

On the occasion of Vijayadashami, women celebrated ‘Sindoor Khela’ in puja pandals of West Bengal with great joy and fervour. Women in Delhi and Kolkata could be seen dancing to the rythm of the ‘Dhaak’. ‘Dhaak’ is a large drum-like instrument that men hang around their necks and play with two thin sticks to infuse the frenzied rhythm, enhancing the festive aura.

Vijaydashmi marks the end of the five-day festivities of Durga Puja. Vijaydashmi is a significant day for married women, who look forward to it all year. People from the Bengali community offer vermilion to Maa Durga on this day. In addition, everyone in the huge pandal applies vermilion and wishes each other on the occasion. After that, ‘Sindoor Khela’ begins. In this, women apply vermilion to one other’s feet and to each other’s faces.
The women believe taking part in ‘Sindoor Khela’ will bring them good luck and a long life for their husbands.

During the Sindoor Khela, women also call upon Maa Durga to come again next year on the sound of Ululudhvani and conch according to the Bengali tradition. In Bengal, it is believed that Maa Durga comes from the earth. She is the daughter of a mother who comes from heaven (Kailash) i.e. from her in-laws’ house to her maternal home with her children for 4 days. After staying in her parents’ house from Shashti to Navami, on the day of Dashami, mothers bid farewell to their married daughters by applying vermillion and feeding them sweets, laughing and dancing. According to mythological beliefs, Sindoor Khela started about 450 years ago. Although basically only married women participate in Sindoor Khela, in the modern era, unmarried girls also participate in Sindoor Khela.

The only difference is that unmarried girls do not have the right to feed sweets to Maa Durga or apply vermillion on their heads, nor does any other woman apply vermillion on their heads. The Hindu festival of Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is a yearly celebration that honours the Hindu goddess Durga and commemorates her victory over Mahishasur. Over the years, Durga Puja has become an inseparable part of Indian culture, with innumerable people celebrating this festival in their own unique way while pertaining to tradition.’Dussehra’ or ‘Vijayadashmi’ also starts the preparations for Diwali, the festival of lights, which is celebrated twenty days after Vijayadashami.