Durga Puja celebrations across India

A ten-day-long celebration, Durga Puja celebrates the victory of goddess Durga, over the ancient demon Mahishasura. From grand prayer ceremonies, fairs and traditional dance forms to delectable cuisines, this festival offers it all. 

On the last day, sacred food called bhog is served in ig community gatherings

Khichdi is one of the main sacred delicacies served during bhog (community servings)

Each pandal puts on exhibit a unique idol of Goddess Durga

Every year the theme for pandal decoration varies starting from traditional themes to hi-tech technologies

The clay used for making the idols in Bengal are mixed with soil from places such as a brothel house

The make-shift temporary pandals during Durga Puja are flooded with stalls selling beautiful handicrafts, jewellery and artifacts

Shimmering with lights, the pandals are visited by numerous visitors each year

Numerous makeshift temporary pandals are set up across the country during Durga Puja

Many resort to traditional outfits during the festivity

According to the legends, Goddess Durga killed the buffalo demon Mahishasura on the auspicious day of Vijaya Dashami

The pandals of Durga Puja radiate feverish energy with everyone grooving to the beats of dhaks (drums)

Dhakis (drummers) are often the landless farmers that enjoy an added income by playing the traditional dhaks (drums) during the festivity

Dhunachi, the sacred earthen pots or incense burners are filled with burning coconut husk, coal and camphor

The visarjan (immersion) ceremony takes place on the last day of Durga Puja which coincides with Vijayadashmi or Dussehra, the festival that commemorates the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana

The idols of the Goddess are paraded through the city or locality before immersion

Durga Puja is concluded with bhog (community serving of sacred food offerings)

The traditional drums (dhaks) beaten by dhakis (drummers) hold a special significance during Durga Puja

Dhunachi naach (dance) is an age old dance form performed during the Durga Puja

Capturing the vibes of the festival digitally

Sindoor Khela celebrates womanhood

The visarjan (immersion) of the idol of Durga symbolises her return from her home to her in-laws

Married women bid farewell to Goddess Durga by applying vermilion on the forehead of her idol and smearing it on each other's face, a tradition commonly known as Sindoor Khela

Goddess Durga is believed to bring prosperity, peace and happiness in the lives of her devotees

North India celebrates Durga Puja in the form of Navratri. It is believed that Lord Rama worshipped Durga before going to war against Ravana

On the last day of Durga Puja, Aparajita Puja is performed

Prayer ceremonies organised during Durga Puja

In front of a grand Durga idol are lined up sacred earthen pots with burning camphor and coconut husks. The priests are peacefully making arrangements for the grand puja (prayer ceremony) and women are making the customary ullulu sounds. Soon, the drummers, traditionally called dhakis gather and start beating the handsome dhaks (drums) wrapped in beautiful colourful patterns. Welcome to the grand celebration of Durga Puja.

An age-old Hindu festival, Durga Puja celebrates the victory of Hindu goddess Durga over the buffalo demon, Mahishasura; a celebration that re-instates the Hindu belief that good wins over bad, always.

The festivity involves a ten-day-long celebration in which beautifully crafted idols of Goddess Durga, her children and Lord Ganesha’s wife are set up in grand pandals(temporary make-shift structures). The clay used for making the idols is mixed with soil from places like brothel house, with the crafting of her eyes being the most important step.

The celebration marks a short stay of the goddess in her home, symbolised by the pandals away from her in-laws residing in Kailash mountains. Thousands of visitors pay visit to these pandals each year. These pandals, nowadays, also put on exhibit stalls with beautiful handicrafts and artifacts, besides traditional cuisines including ghugni, a delicacy made of black gram or yellow peas topped with spices, coriander and muri (puffed rice) and khichudi, a preparation of rice, lentils and veggies.

The celebration picks up the momentum on the eighth, ninth and tenth days of the festivity, that hold a special significance among Hindus. Celebration on the ninth day, in particular, is spectacular with a grand prayer ceremony besides the customary dhunuchi naach (a traditional dance form in which people dance with sacred earthen pots called dhunuchis that are filled with burning camphor, coal and coconut husk) over the beats of dhakis radiating feverish energy from their percussion.

On Vijayadashmi, the last day, the festivity is concluded with a beautiful tradition of Sindoor Khela in which married women bid adieu to the goddess by applying vermilion on the forehead of the idol as well as  smearing the sacred vermilion on each other, followed by the immersion of the idol in water, marking her return to the heavenly abode. Arrangements are also made for grand community servings of sacred food, also called bhog.