Sindoor khela is one of the most interesting part of Durga Puja enacted on Vijaya dashami day. It is purely ladies function and that too only restricted to married women. Widows or unmarried women are not involved. Sindoor khela is enacted before the idol of Ma Durga prior to immersion.Married women offer ‘baran‘ (ritual farewell) to the Goddess with pradip, vermilion, betel leaf, sweets. After this they collect sindoor from the forehead of Ma Durga smearing each other with it to bid farewell to Devi Durga.

To analyse the yogic essence of Sindoor Khela –

Married women means ‘nari united with purush‘ i.e. nari who realized Purusha or Static state within. That is, Static Prana realized kinetic Prana. Widows or unmarried women means ‘nari not united with purush‘ or nari who has not realized Purusha within. So, unrealized Kinetic Prana cannot take part in this sindoor khela or the state at which this khela is possible that state has not yet been achieved by that nari or kinetic prana (sadhaka).

Why sindoor? Color of sindoor is red. This is symbol of color of Kutastha (Atmasurya). Sindoor is taken from Devi Durga‘s forehead i.e. from Kutastha and smeared. So, whole body becomes Kutastha red i.e. sadhaka losing sensory-disposition realizes that she is Kutastha. Smear each other means – all becomes one i.e. Kutastha at that state.This khela is enacted prior to immersion of idol i.e. prior to mergence in the soul  or attaining samadhi.

Note: Here nari means kinetic prana. Even men are also kinetic Prana. In yogic terms, gender does not apply. Every sadhaka is nari, whether a man or a woman.