During Sindur khela (Vermillion game) married women greet each other after offering prayer to the Mother God at their puja mandop(makeshift temple).It begins after prists complete the ritual to end the puja.During sindur khela they greet each other after offering prayer to the Goddess
Pandal hoppers throng streets of Kolkata.They are enjoying the art work and the deity in pandals.Here is the glimpse of one such pandal in south Kolkata which draws huge crowd
The10 handed Goddess Durga made up of clay is on top of a lion.Her hands carry different weapons in them except two which holds the spear which has been struck into the chest of Mahishasura(demon).The four children are accompanying Durga-Laxmi,the goddess of wealth,Saraswati,the Goddess of knowledge,kartik,the god of worship and Ganesha,the elephant faced god representing everything that is good
The four days of Puja (Autumn Festival) start from tomorrow (Oct. 4 ) the sixth day of the full moon that follows the Mahalaya and ends up with the Bijaya Dashami.The10 handed Goddess Durga made up of clay is on top of a lion.Her hands carry different weapons in them except two which holds the spear which has been struck into the chest of Mahishasura(demon)
Kolkata is famous for it’s carnival like atmosphere and themed based festivals.One such famous organizer of Autumn Festival
In Kolkata, Durga Puja is much more carnival than religious festival.Each pandal or wooden structure has it’s unique creativity.Though the famous Autumn Festival of Kolkata will start from October 4, the city is already transformed into a carnival.Panda hoppers throng into sandals from the morning
Though officially not yet open to public, pandal hoppers still visit pandals in different parts of Kolkata.Generally, public thronged the pandals from chaturthi the fourth day of Navaratri but the official beginning of the puja is from 4 October, Sasthi, the sixth day of full moon.Shiv Mandir is one of the best known festival organizers in Kolkata
After the prayers, the Prasad (sacred food) is distributed. Priests perform rituals by chanting religious verses.Bengalies prefer non-vegetarian foods during the festival