What if Durga Visarjan is not the final ritual of the festival? In some Hindu traditions, devotees perform Aparajita Puja after bidding farewell to Maa Durga. The ritual carries a beautiful idea: even when the goddess’s idol is immersed, devotees can continue to seek her blessings for courage, protection and victory. A flower, an eight-petalled lotus design and a sacred thread are associated with this observance. But what does Aparajita mean, and why is this ritual performed after the goddess leaves the mandap?
