Festivals in India - Durga Puja - Mahalaya, ritual of eye-giving

Artisans are making Hindu goddess Durga idols from the watery mud of the Jalangi River, skillfully shaping the statues with finger pressure. Meanwhile, other dry clay idols are being painted and decorated with various glossy, colorful ornaments and clothes at workshops in the potter's colony on the day of Mahalaya, in one of the important regions in Nadia District, where the largest number of clay idols are being produced, ahead of the Durga Puja festival in Tehatta, West Bengal, India, on September 21, 2025. On Mahalaya, the ritual of Chokkhu Daan (eye-giving) involves idol makers painting the eyes of the Goddess Durga, a sacred act that is believed to bring the idol to life and mark the spiritual awakening of the divine form. In Hindu mythology, the Hindu goddess Durga represents power and the triumph of good over evil.