London and Leeds Prepare for Sindoor Khela on October 20: Where to Join

Tuesday, 20 October 2026 is the date listed for the closing celebrations at the Bengali Cultural & Social Club’s London puja and the Leeds Durgapuja and Diwali Association’s puja. Start with the organiser and venue, rather than assuming that every event advertised as “London Durga Puja” follows the same schedule.

Sindoor Khela, also written Sindur Khela, is associated with Durga Puja’s farewell rituals. Women offer vermilion to the Goddess and share it with one another. The tradition has commonly involved married women, but the participation arrangements of a particular celebration should be checked with its hosts. Observing the gathering and taking part in a ritual are different questions.

For diaspora communities, the farewell also brings families and friends together around a shared tradition. Visitors can approach it with interest and respect, while allowing the worship and its participants to set the pace.

London: BCSC at Swaminarayan Sports World

The Bengali Cultural & Social Club (BCSC) lists “Mahadashami & Sindoor Khela” for Tuesday, October 20. Its published doors-open window is 11 am–4 pm.

The 2026 venue is Swaminarayan Sports World, Blake Hall Road, London E11 2QW. Use that full address when planning your journey: another London puja may be at a completely different location.

The opening window is not a separately confirmed Sindoor Khela start time. If attending that ritual is the purpose of your visit, ask BCSC when to arrive. The club says its timings are approximate and may change. Its published contact is contact@bengali-cultural-social-club.org.uk.

We have not verified a general admission price, a required pass or a separate participation charge for this BCSC session. Check those details directly instead of using ticket terms from another London organisation.

Leeds: Sindoor Khela and Bishorjon from 7 pm

The Leeds Durgapuja and Diwali Association lists Bijoya Dashami on Tuesday, October 20, at The Leeds Hindu Mandir, 36 Alexandra Road, Burley, Leeds LS6 1RF.

Its programme schedules Sindoor Khela and Bishorjon from 7 pm, bhog or prasad at 7:30 pm, and the end of darshan at 9:30 pm. These are the Association’s published programme times, rather than a prediction of how long an individual visit will take.

The Association’s homepage describes visitor registration as not mandatory, explaining that it helps plan attendance and food. Follow the registration information on the organiser’s own site and ask about any separate arrangements for meals or participation. Contact: admin@leedspuja.com.

The listing does not establish a public river-immersion route, transport to a separate site or permission to join any activity outside the venue. Ask the hosts about the practical form of Bishorjon in their programme.

Why you may also see October 21 in London

The October 20 plans above do not apply to every UK Durga Puja. The London Durga Puja Dusserah Association, whose website is associated with the Hampstead Puja Committee, lists Bijoya Dashami on Wednesday, October 21. Its programme gives Baran and Sindoor Khela from noon to 2:30 pm that day.

These are different organisers’ programmes. Do not combine the date from one committee, the venue from another and the time from a third. This guide confirms two October 20 options; it does not declare one date for every UK community or explain every committee’s calendar calculation.

All event times are local UK time

London and Leeds will both be on British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1) on October 20, 2026. GOV.UK lists the return to Greenwich Mean Time for October 25, so the clock change has not happened on the event date.

If you are reading from India or forwarding the programme to family abroad, keep the UK timezone attached to the time. The hours in this guide are not IST.