Durga Puja begins on Monday

Staff Correspondent: Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Bangalee Hindu community, will begin tomorrow (Monday) with the incarnation (Bodhon) of the Goddess Durga on the day of Maha Sashthi at temples across the country amid strict security.

On the occasion, preparations in all the Puja pandals have nearly been completed as devotees and artisans are busy giving final touches on idols and pandals across the country marking the festival.

In separate messages, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina conveyed greetings to the members of the country’s Hindu community marking the festival.

The five-day festival starts with ‘Bodhon’ of the Goddess Durga tomorrow while the celebration will come to an end with the immersion of the idols of the Goddess Durga in the nearby rivers and water bodies across the country on October 19.

To mark the Shashthi tomorrow, recitation of the verses from the Holy Chandi and blowing of conch shells (Shankha) and beating of dhak- dhols (drums) will be heard in temples and pandals throughout the day. The Shashthi puja will begin through Kalparombha at 6:30 am.

Maha Saptami puja will be held on Tuesday, Maha Ashtami, Kumari Puja and Sandhi Puja on Wednesday, Maha Nabami Puja on Thursday and Bijoya Dashami on Friday.

Sources said as many as 31,272 permanent and temporary mandaps have been erected in the country, including 234 in the capital city this year.

In Dhaka city, the largest number of crowd of devotees will be seen at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramkrishna Mission and Math, Kalabagan, Banani, Shakhari Bazar and Dhaka University Jagannath Hall puja mandaps.

Security has been beefed up in all Puja pandals throughout the country, including the capital, with the deployment of additional squads of Ansars, police, RAB and other law enforcers for peaceful celebration of the festival. Besides, voluntary groups will also perform duties at the puja pandals.

A festive mood has been witnessed among the devotees irrespective of ages marking the festival while adequate security measures have already been taken in the puja pandals across the country.

Preparations have also been completed in the tastefully decorated Puja pandals at Ramkrishna Mission and Math, Ramna Kalimandir O Anandamayee Ashram, Kalabagan, Baradeshwari Kalimata Mandir, Siddheshwari Kalibari, Bholanath Mandir Ashram, Jagannath Hall, Rishipara Gautam Ashram, Gulshan Banani Sarbojonin Puja Parishad, Basabo Balurmath, Bonogram, South Maishundi, Shankhari Bazar, Tanti Bazar, Panitola, Farashganj, North Brook Hall Road, Lalbagh and other places in the city.

On the eve of the festival, leaders of Bangladesh Puja Utjapan Parishad, Mahanagar Sarbojonin Puja Committee and Bangladesh Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikya Parishad expressed Puja greetings to the members of all communities of the country.


risingbd/Dhaka/Oct 14, 2018/Hasan/AI