Malkangiri: A blend of devotion, festivity and emotion marked the traditional Sindoor Khela at the Dandakaranya Sarbajanin Puja Mandap on the DNK playground in Malkangiri town on Wednesday, as married women came together to bid farewell to Goddess Durga on Vijaya Dasami.
The ritual, observed in accordance with Bengali traditions, drew hundreds of married and newlywed women who arrived at the mandap carrying vermilion and puja thalis. They first offered prayers to the goddess, applying sindoor to her forehead and presenting sweets and betel leaves.
The atmosphere soon turned vibrant as the women smeared vermilion on one another and danced to the beats of dhol and other traditional musical instruments. The ritual, a major attraction of the celebrations, drew a large gathering of men, women and devotees.
The Dandakaranya Sarbajanin Puja Mandap has been celebrating Durga Puja for more than six decades, keeping the Bengali tradition alive in the district.
Following the sindoor ritual, preparations began for the immersion of the goddess. As devotees prepared to bid adieu to Maa Durga, joy mingled with sadness and emotion, reflecting the deep spiritual bond between the faithful and the deity.
Through the age-old ritual, women prayed for the well-being and prosperity of their married lives before offering an emotional farewell to the goddess, with the hope of welcoming her back the following year.
