In pictures: Durga Puja festival

1 of 7 The Hindu festival known as Durga Puja celebrates the triumph of good over evil.

2 of 7 Artists in the Indian city of Calcutta work hard to finish statues of Goddess Durga and other Hindu deities before the festival, which runs until Saturday.

3 of 7 They also make clay heads of the goddess.

4 of 7 In the Indian city of Allahabad, an artist puts the finishing touches on statues ahead of one of the religion's most popular festivals - known as Dasain in Nepal.

5 of 7 Devotees in the city admire statues at a prayer hall.

6 of 7 Indian boatmen dock a traditional vessel on a bank of the Ganges river in Calcutta.

7 of 7 Sculptors in the eastern state of Orissa use sand to express their devotion.