Sindoor Khela

Sindoor Khela at Chittaranjan Park: A Photo Walk with Delhi Photograpgic Club

Chittaranjan Park in New Delhi, often called the cultural heart of the capital’s Bengali community, comes alive with unmatched vibrance during the Durga Puja festivities. Today, on 02 Oct 25, on Vijayadashami, the day when Goddess Durga is bid farewell, the ritual of Sindoor Khela (vermillion play) transforms the pandals into a riot of colour, devotion and festive emotion. This year’s celebration at Chittaranjan Park stood as a radiant reflection of faith, cultural pride and the joyous spirit that binds communities together.  

We started early from Greater Noida to RV at the main pandal of Godess Durga. Today, being my first photo walk, I was both excited and nervous. Some of the senior mentors are  professional gems and are ready to share their work experiences. So, I took out my Sony A73 and took the first click of Mata Durga and started with her blessings. 

So What is Sindoor Khela?  

On checking with elderly ladies from the Bengali community, I learnt that the tradition of Sindoor Khela originates in Bengal, where married women engage in applying sindoor (vermilion) to the idol of Maa Durga and then to each other. Spiritually, the act symbolises invoking the Goddess’s blessings for long-lasting marital harmony, prosperity and protection from misfortune. As women smear each other’s foreheads and faces with sindoor, the ritual also becomes a powerful reminder of unity and sisterhood.  

As I moved across the hall, it was heartening to see how a large Bengali diaspora continues to preserve its rich traditions, the ceremony embodies not just a religious act but a cultural affirmation - connecting generations back to their roots in West Bengal while celebrating in the heart of New Delhi.  

The Process of Sindoor Khela  

After clicking in a few times, I again found comfort and support from an elderly couple who went on to explain the process further. The Bijoya Dashami puja offerings are completed, devotees gather around the idol of Durga in the pandal. Married women, dressed in traditional red and white saris, first offer the goddess betel leaves, sweets and sindoor. The goddess, revered as the embodiment of Shakt , is adorned with the bright red sindoor on her forehead and feet as a final offering before immersion.  It is believed that Mata Durga returns back to her consort, Shiva after coming to her disciples and blessing them. 

After the puja, the women playfully smear sindoor on one another’s faces and foreheads, beginning gently but soon engaging in a joyful celebration of colour. The pandal filled up with infectious energy of laughter, chanting and songs dedicated to Maa Durga, while the air remained charged with emotion - as the community prepared to bid farewell to the mother goddess until her return the next year.  

What makes Sindoor Khela in Chittaranjan Park strikingly unique is the blend of sacred ritual and joyous celebration. After the sindoor is exchanged, the atmosphere blossoms into cultural expression. Women break into impromptu dhunuchi naach, a devotional performance symbolising surrender and offering to the Goddess. The beats of the dhak (traditional drums) intensified the moment, creating a rhythm where devotion transforms into collective energy.    

 As the rituals continued, I observed, a deep, poignant silence mixing with the festivity. I saw tearful eyes blend with smiles as ladies narrated the sheer emptiness and quiet that follows the bow before Durga, having sought strength and guidance for the year ahead, even as the red marks of sindoor on each other’s faces remain as a visible bond of love. The immersion process or  visarjan will soon follow, carrying the idol to a river body, symbolising Durga’s journey back to her celestial abode.  

It was very hot and humid. But, the atmosphere was full of vibrant colours. Even as the beautiful ladies had beads of sweat on their forehead, their faces lit up with joy and a smile. I must add that a camera is a magical tool. It not only captures memories for posterity but takes me down the lanes of culture, emotions and bonding. Generally, ladies are camera shy. But, here is one occasion when the feminine energy, beauty and joy is at its very best. Infact, most ladies said thank you as I clicked the event. As I wound up with my mentor and friends, I thanked Maa Durga for always blessing me and my family. 

It’s a new journey with a new lot of friends. I am already loving it.