Celebrated in the month of Ashvin (September – October), Durga Puja (fondly referred to as Pujo) is one of the most awaited festivals in India, especially in West Bengal. It is a celebration of traditional culture and customs. While the rituals entail ten days of fast, feast and worship, the last four days—Saptami, Ashtami, Navami, and _Dashami—_are celebrated with much gaiety and grandeur in India and abroad, especially in Bengal, where Goddess Durga is worshipped with great passion and devotion. Durga Puja for Bengalis is much more than a festival. It is an emotion and an occasion for reunion and rejuvenation.

Also known as The Vermillion Play,_Sindur Khela is a tradition which is followed every year on the last day of _Durga Puja (Dashami) _in front of the idol of Goddess Durga prior to her immersion in the holy waters. It is purely a Bengali ritual followed by married women and holds great significance. This ritual is enjoyed like an act of smearing Vermillion on each other’s faces and thus it is called “Sindur Khela”_.