📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Jibantara Haldar
Religion
Indore's Bengali Community Observes Sindoor Khela, Honoring Mother Durga
✍️ Amar Ujala · Madhya Pradesh
🗓 21 Oct 2026, 02:00 PM
👁 8
On the second day of Dussehra, the Bengali Club in Navalkha, Indore, hosted a Sindoor Khela ceremony where women offered sindoor to Mother Durga and each other, continuing a century‑old tradition.
Indore's Bengali community gathered on Thursday, the second day of Dussehra, at the Navalkha Bengali Club to celebrate Sindoor Khela, a ritual traditionally performed by women. The event, organized by the local Bengali society, featured a ceremonial offering of sindoor to the idol of Mother Durga, symbolising marital bliss and divine protection.
After the initial offering, participants applied sindoor to each other's foreheads, sharing the festive spirit and reinforcing communal bonds. The ritual was conducted in accordance with age‑old customs, with women dressed in traditional attire and the venue adorned with red and yellow decorations.
Sindoor Khela has been observed by Indore's Bengali diaspora for more than a hundred years, marking the conclusion of the Durga Puja festivities. The gathering not only highlighted cultural continuity but also underscored the community's commitment to preserving its heritage in a city far from its eastern origins.
After the initial offering, participants applied sindoor to each other's foreheads, sharing the festive spirit and reinforcing communal bonds. The ritual was conducted in accordance with age‑old customs, with women dressed in traditional attire and the venue adorned with red and yellow decorations.
Sindoor Khela has been observed by Indore's Bengali diaspora for more than a hundred years, marking the conclusion of the Durga Puja festivities. The gathering not only highlighted cultural continuity but also underscored the community's commitment to preserving its heritage in a city far from its eastern origins.