Bijoya Dashami, the final day of the six-day Sharadiya Durga Puja 2026, was celebrated today across the country amid due religious fervor, vibrant traditions, and communal harmony. 

The grand celebration of Durga Puja ended with the observance of Sindur Khela during the day followed by the immersion (Bisarjan) of idols in nearby rivers, ponds or other water bodies this evening. 

Devotees exchanged warm Bijoya greetings, marking the departure of Goddess Durga from her earthly abode. 

Photo: BSS

Temples across the country including Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramna Kali Mandir, Siddheshwari Kalimandir and Ramakrishna Mission and Math witnessed massive gatherings of worshippers. 

Married Hindu women, dressed in traditional white sarees with red borders are participating in Sindur Khela, one of the most iconic rituals of Bijoya Dashami. 

Sindur Khela, meaning "vermillion play," is a centuries-old Hindu tradition observed primarily in Bangladesh and Eastern India. 

During this ritual, married women first offer vermillion and sweets to the Goddess Durga after the conclusion of the final Dashami Puja. 

They then smear each other's foreheads and faces with sindur, exchange sweets and pray for marital bliss and prosperity.

Photo: BSS

Though traditionally a women-centric ritual, in recent years, male devotees have also taken part in the celebration, playfully applying colors to one another in the spirit of unity and festivity. 

In the morning, Dashami Puja was performed at temples and temporary mandaps, 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. 

Following the rituals, colorful processions are making their way through city streets toward nearby water bodies for the Bisarjan of the idols. 

Photo: BSS

Once carried on bamboo structures, the idols are now 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 emotion.

In Dhaka, key mandaps at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramakrishna Mission and Math, Kalabagan, Banani, Shakhari Bazar, and Ramna Kali Mandir have drawn thousands of devotees since the morning. 

The immersion ceremonies in the capital attracted large crowds, with law enforcement agencies ensuring security and smooth traffic management. 

Photo: BSS

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 were seen touching the feet of their elders to seek blessings, while others embrace in 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.