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Thursday | October 22, 2026 | Dhaka

Women celebrate sindoor khela on Bijoya Dashami

 Moulvibazar Correspondent
 Published: 12:09 AM, 22 October 2026

Traditional sindoor khela marked Bijoya Dashami in Moulvibazar on Wednesday, with Hindu women smearing vermilion on one another as the five-day Durga Puja festivities drew to a close.

The ritual was observed at 1,022 puja mandaps across Moulvibazar district, where women first offered vermilion at Goddess Durga’s feet before applying it to one another’s foreheads and the parting of their hair. They also prayed for the well-being of their husbands and families.

The day marked the end of the festival, which began with Maha Shashthi on October 16.

Devotees performed prayers, offered floral tributes and observed traditional religious rituals before preparing for the immersion of the idols.

The celebrations included darpan bisarjan, a ritual performed according to Hindu scriptural traditions, followed by farewell ceremonies for the goddess.

After the religious rituals, colourful processions accompanied by the beats of drums, traditional cymbals and chants of devotees were scheduled to carry the idols to designated immersion sites.

Thousands of devotees and visitors were expected to gather at immersion sites across the country, including the capital, Dhaka, to bid farewell to the goddess.

According to Hindu belief, Bijoya Dashami symbolises the triumph of good and truth over evil.

Mythology holds that Goddess Durga defeated the demon Mahishasura on this auspicious day, restoring peace to the world.

Beyond its religious significance, the occasion conveys a message of justice, compassion and harmony.

The participation of people from different religious and social communities in the celebrations also reflects Bangladesh’s tradition of communal harmony and cultural pluralism.

As the festivities drew to a close, devotees prayed for an end to unrest and evil and for lasting peace and well-being in the world.