August 19, 2026 08:41 am (IST)
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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.
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