Kolkata, Oct 21 (IANS): A sombre atmosphere prevailed during the idol immersion at the conclusion of Durga Puja, as women across West Bengal on Wednesday bid farewell to Goddess Durga with vermilion, betel leaves, and sweetmeat offerings on Vijaya Dashami.
The special significance of Durga Puja in traditional Bengali culture is that while Goddess Durga is welcomed as a “mother” on Maha Sasthi, marking the beginning of the festival, Bengali women bid farewell to her as a “daughter” on Vijaya Dashami, which marks its end.
This year, Vijaya Dashami celebrations among women wore a subdued look, primarily in the backdrop of the tragic stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojonin community Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata on the night of October 17, which claimed 19 lives.
Although the crescendo of joy and excitement naturally begins to fade as the state’s most awaited and revered festival approaches its final phase, the memory of the 19 individuals killed in the stampede tragedy cast a heavy shadow over the occasion.
This year, while women performed the traditional rituals to bid farewell to Goddess Durga, many chose to refrain from other festivities, such as dancing to the beats of the dhak (traditional drums) and engaging in public merriment. Many were seen praying to Maa Durga to give strength to the bereaved families to rebuild their lives in the days ahead.
In keeping with tradition, women, mostly draped in white sarees with red borders, gathered at various Puja pandals.
Following the rituals, they first covered the face of the Durga idol with a betel leaf, smeared vermilion on her forehead and cheeks, and offered sweetmeats.
After completing the rituals with the idol, the women applied vermilion to each other’s foreheads and cheeks (Sindoor Khela).
However, the usual festive enthusiasm associated with this ritual was largely missing this year, as the memory of those who lost their lives in the stampede hung over the celebrations.
Explaining the tradition of viewing Goddess Durga as a “daughter,” Sanjukta Sinha, a corporate professional, said that for Bengalis, Devi Durga is not merely a deity who destroys evil, but also a daughter returning home, who must eventually return to her in-laws’ abode.
“For us, the four days of Durga Puja represent a daughter visiting her parental home from her in-laws’ place. Now, she is returning to her in-laws for another year, and we bid her farewell through these rituals where vermilion, a sacred symbol for married women, plays a central role,” Sinha said.
–IANS
src/dan
