Dhaka:Bijoya Dashami, the final day of the six-day Sharadiya Durga Puja 2026, was celebrated across the country with religious fervor, vibrant traditions, and communal harmony. The festivities culminated with the immersion of idols in nearby water bodies.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the grand celebration of Durga Puja ended with the observance of Sindur Khela during the day, followed by the immersion (Bisarjan) of idols this evening. Devotees exchanged warm Bijoya greetings as they marked the departure of Goddess Durga from her earthly abode.
Temples across the country, including Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramna Kali Mandir, Siddheshwari Kalimandir, and Ramakrishna Mission and Math, witnessed large gatherings of worshippers. Married Hindu women, dressed in traditional white sarees with red borders, participated in Sindur Khela, a centuries-old Hindu tradition observed primarily in Bangladesh and Eastern India.
Sindur Khela involves married women offering vermillion and sweets to the Goddess Durga before smearing each other's foreheads and faces with sindur. They also exchange sweets and pray for marital bliss and prosperity. In recent years, male devotees have also joined in the celebration, playfully applying colors in the spirit of unity and festivity.
In the morning, Dashami Puja was performed at temples and temporary mandaps. This was followed by Darpan Bisarjan, a symbolic ritual where the reflection of the Goddess is offered back to the water before the formal immersion of the idol. The colorful processions made their way through city streets toward water bodies for the Bisarjan of the idols, which were transported on decorated trucks or pickup vans and taken by boat to the middle of rivers for immersion.
Devotees chanted traditional slogans such as "Aschhe bochhor abar hobe" (Durga Puja will return next year) with bittersweet emotions. In Dhaka, key mandaps at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramakrishna Mission and Math, Kalabagan, Banani, Shakhari Bazar, and Ramna Kali Mandir attracted thousands of devotees. Law enforcement agencies ensured security and smooth traffic management during the immersion ceremonies.
Similar scenes of celebration unfolded in major divisional cities including Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet, and Barishal, as well as district towns such as Narayanganj, Faridpur, Dinajpur, Jashore, Kushtia, Netrakona, Tangail, and Satkhira. After the immersion, younger family members sought blessings from their elders, while others exchanged joyous greetings. Traditional sweets like chomchom, kalojam, sandesh, and narkeler naru (coconut-jaggery balls) were distributed among family, friends, and neighbors as part of the Bijoya festivities.