Vijaya Dashami: Sindur Khela in the masks of a pandal Durga Puja
Calcutta:
The five-day Durga Puja celebrations across the country ended with Vijaya Dashami today. Unlike most years, immersion or Visarjan of Goddess Durga took place without the usual fervor and a different kind of emotion played out. In photos from across the country there were more empty pandals, masked faces and solemn stares under face shields. During a few pandals in Kolkata, women have been seen in PPE kits for boron (saying goodbye to the goddess) and sindur khela. The colorful processions, which usually mark Visarjan the city lacked joy.
Vijaya Dashami: Women in face masks blow the conch shell during Durga Puja rituals on the last day
Dressed in traditional saris edged in red with face masks, worshipers tried to maintain a safe distance and touched Maa Durga’s feet amid modest chants of “asche bochor abar hobe” (until next year). The traditional sindur khela where married women put vermilion on top of each other was mostly reserved for a few local residents and pandal planners.
Vijaya Dashami: Women in PPE during a Kolkata pandal Durga Puja during the rituals of the last day
According to Kolkata police sources, adequate arrangements have been made to ensure the Visarjan the ceremony was peaceful and the guidelines of the Covid-19 were maintained during the immersion ghats. City civic staff and agents from the Kolkata Port Trust were present at the scene to monitor the situation. Most puja committees allowed a minimum of members to accompany the goddess to the ghats for immersion rituals.
Vijaya Dashami: Boron or to bid farewell to Durga masked in the middle of Covid-19
Cranes on top of boats have been seen in some places along the Ganges to clean up flowers and the remains of idols to prevent water pollution. The Red Road Carnival, where big organizers presented their Durga deities before the immersion was canceled due to the pandemic.
Greetings Vijaya Dashami: the deity Durga immersed in the river
