Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, begins Friday with the Maha Sashthi Puja at temples across the country.
With due festivity and religious fervor, puja altars or mandaps as they are known, are completed and ready for Durga Puja.
In separate messages, President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina conveyed greetings to the country’s Hindu community on the occasion of this significant religious festival.
The five-day ‘Sharadiyo Durgotsav’ starts with Sashthi Puja and comes to an end with the immersion of Goddess Durga idols on October 8, in rivers and water bodies near temples across the country
The symbolic reincarnation (Bodhon) of the Goddess Durga took place at temples on Thursday, ahead of the puja.
The ceremonies of the festival will take place from October 3 to October 8 this year Dhaka Tribune
Sashthi Puja began with recitation of verses from the Holy Chandi, the blowing of conch shells (Shankha), and the beating of dhak-dhols (drums) in temples and other gatherings.
Maha Saptami Puja is tomorrow, Maha Ashtami, Kumari Puja, and Sandhi Puja on Sunday, Maha Nabami Puja on Monday, and Bijoya Dashami on Tuesday.
Durga Puja is being celebrated at 31,398 permanent and temporary puja mandaps across the country this year.
Law enforcement including intelligence personnel will remain alert to deal with any troublemakers during the Puja celebrations.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Md Shafikul Islam said all the temples in the city will be monitored by CCTV cameras and everyone will have to pass through archway detectors to enter the temples.
A festive mood prevails among devotees of all ages.
Wearing new clothes as is the tradition, large numbers of devotees of all ages will throng the city pandals, particularly at Dhakeshwari National Temple, and offer prayers to Goddess Durga seeking peace, prosperity, and welfare of the country and its people.
Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee this year decided that the immersion of idols of Durga Puja would be done by 10 pm on the day of Bijoya Dashami across the country.
