Durga Puja 2025: There is often confusion about the Durga Puja immersion taking place on Thursday. However, there is no restriction in the Hindu religious rules. This festival, known as Vijayadashami, is determined according to the Hindu lunar calendar and can fall on any weekday.
In Durga Puja 2025, the immersion will take place on Thursday, October 2. Sometimes, especially in West Bengal, Thursday immersion is generally avoided. This practice is based on traditional beliefs that link the goddess’s departure to the rituals associated with the departure of a daughter.
For devotees, Goddess Durga is like a daughter. Therefore, she is welcomed and bid farewell as a daughter.
At the time of the farewell, women ritually offer items such as clothes, sweets, rice, cumin seeds, and money in a basket. Devotees shed tears, just as parents do when bidding farewell to their daughter.
According to Hindu belief, a daughter should not be sent off from her parents’ home on Thursday. It is believed that doing so brings poverty and troubles.
Thursday is associated with Goddess Lakshmi. Since daughters are also considered manifestations of the goddess, their departure is believed to destroy prosperity. Therefore, the immersion of Goddess Durga is also not performed on Thursdays.
Also Read: Rain casts a shadow over Dussehra celebrations
It is unclear whether this rule will be followed in Kolkata, where Durga Puja is celebrated as a daughter’s return to her father’s home. However, there are some practical reasons for not immersing the idol on October 2.
The flood situation in Kolkata could worsen. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall on Vijayadashami 2025.
Several districts in South and North Bengal are also at risk. Rainfall of 64-115 mm is possible, which could lead to waterlogging and further traffic congestion. Areas like South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, Hooghly, and North 24 Parganas are also on alert.
Dussehra 2025
Durga Puja Vijayadashami is also known as Dussehra. However, unlike the festivals in West Bengal, it celebrates a different aspect of mythology. In Bengal, it honors Goddess Durga’s victory over the demon Mahishasura. Dussehra is related to the Ramayana.
Dussehra marks the end of the nine-day Navratri. This festival commemorates Shri Rama’s victory over Ravana. It symbolizes the triumph of righteousness over arrogance and evil.
The celebration includes colorful processions, Ramlila plays, and the burning of effigies of Ravana, Meghnath, and Kumbhakarna. Families gather, share festive food, and exchange greetings.