October 20, 2026 01:50 pm (IST)
Follow us:
Revellers bid adieu to Goddess Durga on Maha Dashami
Kolkata, Oct 3 (IBNS): It's time again to bid adieu to the Hindu Goddess Durga and her four children (Laxmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh) as Maha Dashami puja commenced on Friday amid a mood of gloominess in Kolkata and the rest of Bengal.
The all glittering night of Maha Navami and Maha Ashtami ended leaving a sad air as the people will have to wait for one long year again to soak into the merriment of the annual festival of the Bengali community.
Kolkata had a busy night on Thursday as pandal hoppers made the most of the day.
On Mahadashami, special pujas, yagna and maha arti are performed, followed by darpan bisarjan (ritually bidding adieu to the Goddess although idol-immersion starts in the afternoon). .
The rituals rounds off with Aparajita Puja (special worship for eternal victory).
As the day graduates, women gather at several marquees (pandals) across the city to bid farewell to the Goddess and her four children with vermillion and sweets.
Sindoor Khela or (smearing of vermilion) marks the day when women folk smear each other with red vermilion.
After this, starts the frenzied immersion ceremony. Long processions with drums and trumpets are taken out through various cities of West Bengal and finally reaching various banks of river Ganga or other rivers where the idols are immersed.
Although this year, certain idols are expected to have their immersion ceremony on Saturday as well.
After the immersion ceremony is over, people wish each other 'Shubho Bijoya', a custom followed by the Bengalis all over the world with a new ray of hope until the next year.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
AWEsome entrepreneurs
Thu, Aug 26 2021
Looking anew at urban planning
Wed, Jul 21 2021
Green living with bamboo
Thu, Jul 01 2021
Married and dating
Mon, Jun 14 2021
The sweet taste of environment-friendly chocolates
Wed, Apr 21 2021
Wildlife Rescue: A Kashmir woman breaks stereotypes
Tue, Mar 09 2021
The Red Planet beckons
Mon, Feb 22 2021
Hobbies to the rescue
Sat, Feb 20 2021