ceremony

ceremony · flowers

Ladies of the Odia community sit together and open lotus petals which will be later offered to Goddess Durga along with prayers. Flowers are an integral part of every Hindu Puja (worship) and rituals.

ceremony · dance

Oriya women dance after Sindur Khela at the Oriya community Durga Puja celebrations in Katwaria Sarai in New Delhi.

ceremony

Oriya priest worships Goddess Durga during the Durga Puja celebrations in Delhi. The festival is celebrated by worshipping Goddess Durga who symbolizes positive energy, known as the divine force, and feminine power that is used against the…

ceremony

Oriya priest performs aarti for Goddess Durga during the Durga Puja celebrations in Delhi. The festival is celebrated by worshipping Goddess Durga who symbolizes positive energy, known as the divine force, and feminine power that is used ag…

ceremony

Women gather around the idol for arati after Sindur Khela on Vijayadashmi. This aarti is performed to bid Goddess Durga adieu and the idols are taken for immersion.

ceremony

Pandal hopper speaks to Wildfilmsindia about spending Durga Puja in Chittranjan Park, Delhi.

ceremony · dance

Oriya community folks in Delhi dance along with the idol for Durga Puja immersion ceremony on Vijayadashmi while they leave from Katwaria Sarai. It’s time to let Goddess Durga and her children return to their places.

festival · dance

Men and women of Oriya community dance together during a Durga Puja procession in Katwaria Sarai, Delhi. It’s time to let Goddess Durga and her children return to their places.

river · highway

Devotees carry out Durga idol from a truck with faith and the pain of saying goodbye to the Goddess.

ceremony

After the ban on idol immersion in the Yamuna and other rivers, makeshift ponds were created with plastic sheeting around the city so that the idols could be immersed in them and not cause lead, mercury and other forms of water poisoning in…

ceremony

Bengali women play the vermillion game called Sindoor Khela with each other on the last day of Durga Puja. Women smear vermilion on each other during 'Sindoor Khela' on Vijayadashmi.

ceremony

On the last day of Durga Puja also known as Vijayadashmi, everyone gets ready to bid Goddess Durga adieu. Devotees are given rice from the sack offered to Maa Durga as a symbolic gesture from Goddess Laksmi.

ceremony · festival

Durga Puja is a celebration of divine feminine power and victory over the evil demon ‘Mahishasura’ who was blessed not to be defeated by any man or God.

ceremony

For these four-five days, devotees of Goddess Durga offer her with variety of bhog, prasad and puja offerings, till the time she departs for heaven.

ceremony · festival

Durga Puja is a celebration of divine feminine power and victory over the evil demon ‘Mahishasura’ who was blessed not to be defeated by any man or God.

ceremony · festival

Durga Puja, a ten-day-long Hindu festival, celebrates the victory of Goddess Durga over an ancient demon named Mahishasura and his evil attendants.

ceremony · festival

Devotees come together for Sandhya Aarti at the panchayat ghar in Katwaria Sarai during Durga Puja. The priest after offering prayer takes the puja thali around in the crowd.

ceremony · festival

Amidst the sound of dhak and smell of dhunuchi everything comes to a standstill during the aarti at Durga puja. Devotees stand with their hands folded and eyes closed to worship the Goddess and make her feel welcome to her home.

ceremony · lake

Devotees first take the idol off and chant in unison while carrying the idol of the Goddess to the pond for immersion. This man-made pond was specially made in R.K Puram for Durga immersion to avoid polluting the rivers.

ceremony

Maha Navami, also known as Durga Navami, is a festival that is celebrated on the ninth day of Navaratri (Sharada Navaratri) and the fourth/fifth day (depending on the Hindu calendar) of Durga Puja.

ceremony

Mahasasthi is perhaps the most important day during the Durga Pujas. The preparations for the Puja are made complete on this day.

ceremony · festival

Devotees follow rituals and offer prayers to Goddess Durga every morning during the 9 long days of Navratri.

ceremony

The festival of Durga Puja starts with Mahalaya, the first phase of the waxing moon in Aswin. Thousands offer prayers to their ancestors at the city's riverbanks or sacred ponds, a ritual called Tarpana.