Sindoor Khela marks Dashami celebrations at historic Durgabari Temple

The historic Durgabari Temple in Ranchi witnessed vibrant celebrations of Sindoor Khela on Vijayadashami, as married women from the Bengali community came together to observe the traditional ritual bidding farewell to Goddess Durga.

Dressed in traditional sarees, many with red-and-white borders, women offered sindoor at the feet of the goddess and prayed for marital bliss and family prosperity. They then applied vermilion to one another’s foreheads, cheeks and hair partings, exchanging greetings and good wishes.

Women carrying plates of sindoor and sweets participated in the ritual amid the sounds of dhak drums and conch shells. The atmosphere was marked by devotion and emotion as devotees prayed for the goddess to return the following year.

Sindoor Khela is a longstanding Bengali Hindu tradition observed on Vijayadashami, the final day of Durga Puja. According to popular belief, Goddess Durga visits her parental home on Earth during the festival and returns to Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva, on Vijayadashami. The ritual symbolises a ceremonial farewell to the goddess, much like a daughter’s departure from her parental home.

Vermilion is traditionally associated with marital status and good fortune. During the ritual, married women apply sindoor to one another and pray for the long lives of their husbands, the well-being of their families and prosperity.

Durgabari Temple has continued to preserve this tradition in Ranchi for decades, reflecting the city’s rich Bengali cultural heritage and Jharkhand’s diverse social traditions.

For the women participating in the ceremony, Sindoor Khela was more than a religious ritual. They described it as a celebration of womanhood, solidarity and community bonding. The festivities concluded with chants praising Goddess Durga and prayers for her return next year.