Overview
- Devotees across India and in diaspora communities completed Vijaya Dashami rituals on Wednesday, October 21, with sindoor khela ceremonies and the large-scale immersion of Durga idols.
- A deadly stampede at Chorbagan on October 17 that killed 19 people prompted police and puja organisers to regulate entry at pandals and increase security at ghats.
- In Assam, local authorities arranged two-day immersion windows at major ghats, readied hydra cranes for large idols and deployed NDRF and SDRF teams to supervise hundreds of immersions.
- Several local variations marked this year’s finale: Krishnagar Rajbari suspended its 24-year sindoor khela tradition after the scion’s death while political and civic leaders publicly joined and commented on puja events.
- The festival’s scale — thousands of community pandals in West Bengal and over 9,000 in Assam this year — made staggered scheduling and round-the-clock safety shifts essential to prevent further crowd incidents and ensure orderly night-time immersions.