Bengali community bids adieu to durga with ‘sindur khela’

Hyderabad: Hyderabad's Bengali community bid farewell to the enchanting festivities of Durga Puja with a vibrant and colourful sindur khela ceremony. Women from across the city gathered at various puja pandals to offer prayers to Goddess Durga on Sunday, followed by an immersion carnival at Hussain Sagar.

Dressed in off-white sarees with red borders, women applied sindoor to the forehead and feet of Goddess Durga at various puja pandals. Following this, they smeared sindoor on each other’s faces and danced to the rhythmic beats of dhaak (a drum-like instrument). Some participants played the dhaak and blew conch shells, adding to the festive atmosphere.

According to various puja pandal organisers, sindoor khela is celebrated on Bijoya Dashami, the last day of the five-day Durga Puja. “Goddess Durga had come to her mother’s home, and now she is departing. We bid her farewell with tearful eyes, offering sweets and betel leaves (pan) to the goddess. After performing the final Vijaya Dashami puja on the idols, a colourful procession was organised by the puja committees,” said a member.

Hyderabad is home to approximately six to seven lakh Bengali residents, and this year about 50 associations have organised Durga puja.

The Hyderabad Bangalee Samity, one of the city’s oldest associations, conducted its final puja early in the morning and embarked on a procession to the lake in the evening. Given the proximity of their pandal from NTR Garden to Hussain Sagar, it took roughly an hour to reach the lake and immerse the idol, stated the members.

Members of the Bengalee Cultural Association, whose theme this year was the depiction of Nari Shakti, attracted a large crowd over the six days. They stated, "This year, all the women came forward to organise our puja, truly embodying Nari Shakti. The entire organising committee was managed by women, overseeing all aspects of planning, decoration, and cultural activities. We have received a significant footfall this year. As in previous years, we chose Hussain Sagar Lake as the venue for the immersion ceremony."

Meanwhile, a significant portion of the crowd flocked to Hussain Sagar for immersion; a few associations, like the Prabashi Socio Cultural Association, chose to immerse their idol at Bachupally Lake. The proximity of Bachupally Lake made it a convenient and environmentally conscious choice.