Bijoya Dashami: Durga Puja ends with Sindoor Khela, immersions till October 24
Representative image: 4935210 / Pixabay
Durga Puja ended on Bijoya Dashami, October 21, 2026, with Sindoor Khela; Bengal set immersions from October 21 to 24 under senior police officers.
What Happened
Durga Puja, the biggest festival of West Bengal and of Bengali communities everywhere, came to its formal close on Bijoya Dashami, Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Married women played Sindoor Khela, smearing vermilion on the goddess and on one another, at pandals in Kolkata, other parts of Bengal, Tripura and Delhi, according to news agency reports. The West Bengal Police have scheduled idol immersions from October 21 to October 24, and a notification issued late on October 20 put senior IPS officers in charge of supervising them at key locations. In Bangladesh, the five-day festival also ended on Wednesday with immersions.
Key Facts
- Bijoya Dashami, the last day of Durga Puja, fell on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 in the Bengali calendar.
- Women celebrated Sindoor Khela in Kolkata and elsewhere in Bengal, in Tripura and in Delhi, reports said.
- A West Bengal Police notification issued late on October 20 said IPS-rank officers will supervise immersions in different areas from October 21 to October 24.
- Reports put the number of IPS officers deployed for immersion oversight at 18, working in two teams across the four days.
- Extra forces have been placed along major immersion routes.
- In Bangladesh, where Durga Puja was held at more than 33,000 mandaps this year, the festival also concluded with Bijoya Dashami immersions on Wednesday.
Why It Matters
According to tradition, Dashami marks the goddess Durga's departure at the end of her annual visit, which is why the day mixes celebration with farewell. Before the idol leaves the pandal, married women touch vermilion to the goddess and then to each other's faces in Sindoor Khela, a custom meant as a wish for the well-being of their families.
The immersion is the most public and the most crowded part of the festival. Thousands of community pujas carry their idols to rivers and ponds over several days, with processions, drums and large crowds along the routes. This year the state has put extra emphasis on safety. Its decision to assign senior officers to oversee immersions follows a deadly crowd crush at a Kolkata pandal during the festival, in which 19 people died, and which the state has asked a judge-led special investigation team to examine.
The four-day immersion window helps spread out the crowds. Instead of every puja heading to the ghats on the same evening, committees can schedule their processions across Wednesday to Saturday, giving police time to manage traffic and keep river banks safe.
The festival's spread beyond Bengal is also visible in the reports. Sindoor Khela at pandals in Delhi and Tripura, and the parallel conclusion in Bangladesh, show how Durga Puja has become a shared cultural event across states and across the border, wherever Bengali communities live.
| Bijoya Dashami 2026 | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | Wednesday, October 21, 2026 |
| Key ritual | Sindoor Khela by married women |
| Immersion window in West Bengal | October 21 to 24, 2026 |
| Police oversight | IPS-rank officers in two teams (reported as 18) |
| Bangladesh | Festival ended on the same day |
Impact
Short-term: Immersion processions will continue across Kolkata and the districts until October 24, with traffic diversions and heavy police presence near ghats. Visitors should follow local police advisories.
Long-term: The closer police supervision this year may shape how future Durga Pujas manage crowds at large pandals and during immersions, especially after this year's pandal tragedy.
Who is affected: Durga Puja committees and devotees in West Bengal and elsewhere, residents along immersion routes, police and civic bodies, and Bengali communities in India and Bangladesh.
Key Takeaway
Durga Puja 2026 ended on Bijoya Dashami, October 21, with Sindoor Khela, while West Bengal spread immersions over four days under senior police supervision.
Questions and Answers
When was Bijoya Dashami in 2026?
Bijoya Dashami, the last day of Durga Puja, fell on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, in the Bengali calendar. It was observed in West Bengal, other states and Bangladesh.
What is Sindoor Khela?
It is a Bijoya Dashami ritual in which married women offer vermilion to the goddess Durga and then smear it on each other's faces. By custom, it is a wish for the well-being of their families before the idol is immersed.
Until when will Durga immersions continue in West Bengal?
A West Bengal Police notification schedules immersions from October 21 to October 24, 2026, with IPS-rank officers supervising at key locations.
Why is security tighter for immersions this year?
The state has assigned senior officers to oversee immersions and added forces along main routes. The move follows a crowd crush at a Kolkata pandal during the festival in which 19 people died.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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Reported, fact-checked and published by the Peepals Global Editorial Team.
