C T Online Desk: Sarwar Jahan Jewel Mymensingh:  On the last day of the autumn Durga festival in Mymensingh, on Vijaya Dashami, the devotees of Mymensingh are bidding farewell to Goddess Durga through vermilion, dancing, singing and joy. After the five-day worship ceremony, the puja mandap is filled with the sound of farewell. Along with joy, emotions and sadness are visible on the faces of the devotees as they bid farewell to the goddess.

On the occasion of Vijaya Dashami, men, women, children and teenagers from the Sanatan religion thronged various puja mandap in Mymensingh from the morning of Wednesday (October 21). After the puja rituals, the women applied vermilion to each other. A festive atmosphere was created in the mandap around the vermilion game. The surroundings became filled with dancing, singing and the sound of drums to the beat of drums.

Devotees pray to Goddess Durga for happiness, peace, prosperity and well-being of the family through the sindoor game. They share the joy of the festival by applying vermilion on each other’s foreheads and faces. During this time, many are seen capturing memorable moments by taking pictures and videos.

Amidst the joy of the festival, there was a sense of farewell. Devotees believe that Goddess Durga comes to earth every year with the message of destroying evil forces and establishing good forces. After spending a few days of worship in joy and celebration, many became emotional as they bid her farewell on Vijaya Dashami. Their prayer was that with the blessings of Goddess Durga, may unrest be removed from the world and peace, harmony and humanity be established.

Vijaya Dashami is not only the day of farewell to Goddess Durga, it is also an occasion for exchanging greetings, harmony and brotherhood among devotees. Along with religious rituals and ceremonies, the autumn Durga Puja, one of the main religious festivals of the Bengali Hindu community, is coming to an end in Mymensingh with the joy of sharing the festival through dance and song.

With the departure of Goddess Durga, devotees are now waiting – next year, Maa Durga will return again in an atmosphere of joy, celebration, and devotion