Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Film actor and Member of Parliament Jaya Bachchan, along with her son Abhishek, visited TT Nagar Kali Bari in the city on Wednesday morning to take part in Sindoor Khela, a ritual that concludes the Bengali Durga Puja, amid rain.
Jaya was clad in a salwar suit while Abhishek was in red color pullover and blue jeans. Both of them wore black and blue colored facemasks.
Jaya first touched the feet of her mother, around 90-year-old Indira Bahaduri, who was present there since the morning to perform Puja. After that, Jaya applied Sindoor to the idol of the goddess Durga.
Abhishek also touched the feet of his grandma and worshipped the goddess. He was also seen interacting with a little child. They left after staying there for around 10-15 minutes.
General Secretary of The Bengali Association, TT Nagar Kali Bari, Salil Chatterjee told Free Press, “Jaya Ji reached the Bari around 12 noon along with Abhishek. We didn’t have any prior information that they were coming. She worshipped goddess Durga. I think she took part in Durga Puja here after a gap of four years,” he added. Jaya was scolding camera persons for clicking her photographs.
A huge number of Bengali and non-Bengali women played Sindoor Khela in different Kali Baris in the city after a gap of two years due to Covid–induced restrictions.
Sindoor Khela, literally meaning 'vermillion game', is a Bengali Hindu tradition where women smear each other with sindoor on Bijoya Dashami, the last day of the Durga Puja. After the conclusion of the ritual worship, married Bengali Hindu women apply sindoor to the forehead and feet of the goddess and offer sweets to her. Then they put sindoor on each other's faces and offer sweets to each other.
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