Sonagachi Sex Workers Celebrate Sindoor Khela And Dhunuchi Naach – WATCH

In Sonagachi, Kolkata, sex workers mark Vijayadashmi with vibrant Sindoor Khela and Dhunuchi Naach rituals during Durga Puja celebrations.

In Kolkata's iconic red-light area of Sonagachi, sex workers marked the grand finale of Durga Puja with energetic Sindoor Khela rituals and Dhunuchi Naach. Celebrated on Vijayadashmi, this vibrant festival festival not honours Goddess Durga but also serves as a powerful expressional of identity, resistance, and solidarity within the community. Across religious backgrounds, sex workers come together in this unique celebration, blending devotion with cultural pride. Durga Puja in Sonagachi has become more than a festival, it is a symbol of empowerment, unity, and the fight for recognition in one of the city’s most marginalised yet resilient spaces.

West Bengal Women Celebrate Vijayadashmi With Sindoor Khela Ritual

In West Bengal, women across cities like Siliguri marked Vijayadashmi, the grand finale of Durga Puja, by participating in the vibrant Sindoor Khela ritual. At various puja pandals, devotees enthusiastically offered sindoor to Goddess Durga and applied it to each other, creating a sea of red that symbolises joy, marital bliss, and devotion.

Sindoor Khela is not only a celebration of tradition but also marks the conclusion of Durga Puja festivities, bringing together women from different communities in a shared expression of cultural pride and unity. The ritual reflects the spirit of Vijayadashmi, blending devotion, festivity, and social bonding in an unforgettable spectacle.