February 14, 2026 02:59 am (IST)
Women smear each other with sindoor on Vijaya Dasami
As the five-day festivity of Durga Puja almost came to an end on Thursday (Oct 22, 2015), with the day combining both Maha Nabami and Vijaya Dasami this time, many idols were immersed in the river Ganges and other water bodies. Ahead of the immersion, women, especially married women, smeared each other with sindoor. Sindoor Khela (Or playing with sindoor) is a part of Bengali women's ritual before bidding farewell to the Goddess and they wish each other happy married life. Images by Sounak Choudhury/IBNS.
As the five-day festivity of Durga Puja almost came to an end on Thursday (Oct 22, 2015), with the day combining both Maha Nabami and Vijaya Dasami this time, many idols were immersed in the river Ganges and other water bodies. Ahead of the immersion, women, especially married women, smeared each other with sindoor. Sindoor Khela (Or playing with sindoor) is a part of Bengali women's ritual before bidding farewell to the Goddess and they wish each other happy married life. Images by Sounak Choudhury/IBNS.
As the five-day festivity of Durga Puja almost came to an end on Thursday (Oct 22, 2015), with the day combining both Maha Nabami and Vijaya Dasami this time, many idols were immersed in the river Ganges and other water bodies. Ahead of the immersion, women, especially married women, smeared each other with sindoor. Sindoor Khela (Or playing with sindoor) is a part of Bengali women's ritual before bidding farewell to the Goddess and they wish each other happy married life. Images by Sounak Choudhury/IBNS.
As the five-day festivity of Durga Puja almost came to an end on Thursday (Oct 22, 2015), with the day combining both Maha Nabami and Vijaya Dasami this time, many idols were immersed in the river Ganges and other water bodies. Ahead of the immersion, women, especially married women, smeared each other with sindoor. Sindoor Khela (Or playing with sindoor) is a part of Bengali women's ritual before bidding farewell to the Goddess and they wish each other happy married life. Images by Sounak Choudhury/IBNS.
As the five-day festivity of Durga Puja almost came to an end on Thursday (Oct 22, 2015), with the day combining both Maha Nabami and Vijaya Dasami this time, many idols were immersed in the river Ganges and other water bodies. Ahead of the immersion, women, especially married women, smeared each other with sindoor. Sindoor Khela (Or playing with sindoor) is a part of Bengali women's ritual before bidding farewell to the Goddess and they wish each other happy married life. Images by Sounak Choudhury/IBNS.
As the five-day festivity of Durga Puja almost came to an end on Thursday (Oct 22, 2015), with the day combining both Maha Nabami and Vijaya Dasami this time, many idols were immersed in the river Ganges and other water bodies. Ahead of the immersion, women, especially married women, smeared each other with sindoor. Sindoor Khela (Or playing with sindoor) is a part of Bengali women's ritual before bidding farewell to the Goddess and they wish each other happy married life. Images by Sounak Choudhury/IBNS.
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
In Images: Love gets a vegan twist as activists hit the streets
Fri, Feb 13 2026
Khirai Flower Valley Colours West Bengal’s Countryside
Thu, Feb 05 2026
In Images: Nationwide bank strike in demand of a five-day work week
Tue, Jan 27 2026
Saraswati Puja in Kolkata: Where Learning, Faith, and Spring Meet
Fri, Jan 23 2026
Saraswati Puja in Kolkata: Where Learning, Faith, and Spring Meet
Fri, Jan 23 2026
