But on the last day of her stay, as Durga prepares to leave her parents to return to her parents - in - law's home, a few rituals take place to bid her a proper farewell and good luck. Sindoor Khela is one such ritual.
It is basically a celebration of the fact that Durga is a married woman, or suhaagan. Since in Hinduism, the sindoor or vermillion represents the status of a married woman, this red powder is used to celebrate Durga's married status. It is also believed that if this ritual of Sindoor Khela is conducted properly, then no widowhood can touch a woman, ever.
On the day of Vijaya Dashami, every Bengali - Hindu married woman prepares a few things on her puja thali: betel leaves or paan (to signify the auspiciousness of the occasion), sondesh or any other appropriate sweet, and sindoor.
The thali is basically what she needs to do the Devi Boron, or the final goodbye to the suhaagan Durga.
The sindoor is touched at the feet of the devi's idol, and her forehead. The betel leaves are offered to her for the puja, and the sondesh is placed at the idol's mouth. Some women also gift vermillion - coloured sarees and dupattas as another marker of married life.
Once the Devi Boron is done, the remaining sindoor is put on the forehead, cheeks, and the iron bangles of all the married women present at the puja pandal.
Needless to say, it's only Hindu, married women who are strictly allowed to participate in this ritual. Unmarried women and widows are not allowed to participate in the ritual. Sometimes, young girls also indulge a little in the "playing" part of the ritual as a sign of devotion.
The ritual is quite vibrant, colourful, and a fascinating sight to behold - - which is why it has been a focus of Indian cinemas along with dhunuchi dance, the devi's arati and visarjan. In recent years, the ritual has become exceedingly popular among urban Bengalis.
But there is a flip side to the ritual that many don't consider. A ritual that celebrates a woman's existence in association with a man - - the husband - - does more than just to exclude unmarried and widowed women, even divorced women for that matter. It places all the importance on just one aspect of Durga, her suhaagan status, and does not do much to highlight her other strengths.
Doubts on this article
