A woman is seen being smeared with vermilion (sindoor) during Sindoor Khela in Kolkata, West Bengal, on 21 October 2026 — the auspicious day of Vijayadashami that marks the close of Durga Puja. (Photo: NationPress)
The ancient Sindoor Khela ritual sees married Bengali women smear each other with vermilion as a farewell to Goddess Durga, celebrated across Kolkata on 21 October 2026. (Photo: NationPress)
Durga Puja 2026 concluded in West Bengal on Vijayadashami, 21 October 2026, with the Sindoor Khela ceremony preceding the grand immersion processions that wind through the streets of Kolkata. (Photo: NationPress)
The five day Durga Puja festival came to an end in West Bengal on 21 October 2026, with thousands of women participating in Sindoor Khela gatherings at pandals and community spaces across Kolkata. (Photo: NationPress)
Sindoor Khela remains one of the most visually distinctive rituals of Bengali culture, drawing women of all generations to celebrate the spirit of Goddess Durga before her annual departure on Vijayadashami in Kolkata. (Photo: NationPress)