Colours Of Durga Puja

The capital took a jovial look as the Hindus of the country celebrated their grandest festival, the Durga Puja, this month. Colourful mandaps, sounds of dhak and ghanta, strong sweet smell of incense, solemn prayers and cheerful celebrations marked the annual worship of The Great Divine Mother. The third day of the celebration saw Kumari Puja, in which devotees worship a pre-pubescent girl as a manifestation of the divine female energy. And married women played with vermillion in a farewell ritual for the goddess on the Bijoya Dashami when the idols were immersed in water bodies. Photo: Rashed Shumon