There is a peculiar silence that comes after festivity, a silence that does not merely mean the absence of sound but the weight of something larger than human expression. When the beating of Dhak slows, when the fragrance of incense fades, and when the idol of goddess Durga is prepared for immersion, that silence marks Bijoya Dashami. For centuries, Bijoya Dashami has been more than the conclusion of Durga Puja. It is a ritual where joy and melancholy, celebration and separation, all flow into one collective emotion. It is the final chapter of a story that begins with Shashthi and culminates in the farewell of the Mother, who returns to her divine abode after her sojourn among her children.
Durga Puja, while commonly seen as a festival of worship, is in truth a cultural chronicle, a narrative of power, devotion and community building. Rooted in the story of the triumph of goddess Durga over Mahishasura, the festival symbolises the victory of righteousness over arrogance and of good over evil. The Mother Goddess represents Shakti, the eternal cosmic energy, and her victory embodies the restoration of balance through truth and unity. In Bengal and Bangladesh, this story carries deep cultural and historical significance, inseparable from the land’s collective memory.
Bijoya Dashami, the tenth day, represents the paradox of joy in farewell. It is the moment when devotees, after days of worship, gather to immerse the idols in rivers or ponds. Yet this immersion is not an end but a return to the source and a reminder that the divine is eternal. In Hindu thought, endings are not conclusions but transformations. When the image of the goddess dissolves into the water, what remains is the faith that she continues to reside in the collective consciousness of her children.
One of the most striking aspects of Bijoya Dashami is the ritual of Sindur Khela. Married women smear vermillion on one another after offering it to the goddess. It is a sight where red takes over the white of sarees, symbolising sisterhood and joy. Historically tied to prayers for husbands’ long life, it now reflects broader meanings — celebrating womanhood, resilience, and feminine strength, echoing the essence of Goddess Durga herself. The immersion process is equally symbolic. In Bengal and Bangladesh, idols return to clay, just as they were born of it. This act carries timeless ecological wisdom — nothing is lost or destroyed; everything transforms. For a land where rivers dictate life, immersion is also a dialogue with nature, reminding people of their bond with the waters that sustain them.
Durga Puja has evolved through history. What was once a zamindar’s privilege became a community festival, breaking class barriers. The baroari puja made worship accessible to all. In East Bengal, today’s Bangladesh, it flourished as a cultural celebration where music, theatre, literature, and art found expression. Even in times of unrest, Puja pandals became spaces of belonging. Thus, Bijoya Dashami is not only about faith but also about shared identity and continuity.
The festival continues vibrantly, bringing together communities across towns and villages. Though a minority practice, Durga Puja has become part of the national cultural calendar. Streets light up, pandals attract all, and the rhythm of drums unites people. When immersion processions move through streets, people of all faiths join in — as onlookers or participants — turning the ritual into an act of collective belonging.
Bijoya Dashami is also the time when the greeting “Shubho Bijoya” spreads goodwill beyond ritual boundaries. Families visit one another, sweets are shared, and old grievances fade. Philosophically, it is a day of reconciliation — defeating the demons of division within. In a pluralistic country like Bangladesh, this message of harmony is deeply relevant.
During colonial times, Puja gatherings became spaces of political discourse. Devotion to the Mother Goddess merged with devotion to the motherland. The image of Durga as a protector against oppression inspired unity. This undercurrent still runs through the region’s collective psyche. From a broader perspective, Bijoya Dashami teaches lessons that transcend religion. It reminds us that life moves in cycles of meeting and parting, creation and dissolution. In immersion, one sees the truth of impermanence; in Sindur Khela, the resilience of joy even in farewell.
Bijoya Dashami remains a living tradition carrying the essence of plural identity. As idols dissolve into rivers, they dissolve barriers among communities, reminding us that culture cannot be bound by faith. The Goddess departs, but she leaves behind togetherness. When the final chants of “Bolo Durga Mai ki joy” echo and the waters receive the clay image, what remains is not sorrow but continuity: the belief that the Mother will return, that unity will survive, and that in every farewell lies a renewal of hope.
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The writer is an electrical engineer and is currently pursuing an MSc in Autonomous Vehicle Engineering at the University of Naples Federico II in Italy