Durga Puja in Kolkata, India

On October 24th, 2023, in Kolkata, India, both men and women participate in the vibrant ritual of 'sindoor khela'. Covered in red vermilion, they celebrate the conclusion of the Durga Puja festival. This traditional Hindu ritual signifies the farewell to Goddess Durga and her children, invoking their return the next year. As part of the ritual, married women smear each other with sindoor (vermilion) before the Durga idol is taken for immersion, marking the end of the annual festivities.