Sharad Purnima and Lakshmi Puja Light Up Darjeeling Hills, Terai and Dooars

The full moon of the autumn month, known as Sharad Purnima, was celebrated on the night of October 31 across the Darjeeling hills, the adjoining Terai region and the Dooars belt of West Bengal. Residents gathered on rooftops and open fields to light oil lamps, release sky lanterns and perform the traditional 'Kheer Daan' ritual, offering sweet rice pudding to the deity Lakshmi.\n\nIn Darjeeling town, local temples organized special puja ceremonies where priests chanted hymns and devotees offered flowers and sweets. Similar observances were reported in tea garden settlements of the Dooars, where community members set up makeshift altars and shared communal meals.\n\nThe celebrations also featured cultural performances, including folk songs and dances that reflect the region's diverse ethnic heritage. Authorities reported that the events proceeded peacefully, with local police monitoring crowd gatherings to ensure safety.\n\nSharad Purnima, marking the end of the monsoon and the onset of the harvest season, is traditionally linked to the worship of Goddess Lakshmi, the harbinger of wealth and prosperity. The combined observance of the full‑moon festival and Lakshmi Puja underscores the cultural continuity of the hill and plains communities in West Bengal.