Maha Ashtami of the six-day Sharadiya Durga Puja will be celebrated across the country on Monday with due religious fervor and festivity.
As per the puja schedule of Dhakeshwari National Temple, rituals of Maha Ashtami will be held by 7.34 am while Sandhi Puja will be held between 7.55am and 8.43am. Sandhi Puja is held at the transitional moment between Ashtami and Navami.
According to Hindu mythology, the ritual commemorates the moment Goddess Durga assumed the form of Chamunda to slay the demon brothers Chanda and Munda.
Kumari Puja, a ritual of worshipping goddess Durga in the form of a 'Kumari' - a pure-hearted girl and the virgin form of the deity, will be held at some temples as per tradition.
In the capital, Kumari Puja will be held at Ramkrishna Math and Ramkrishna Mission Dhaka at 9.30am.
During the ritual, an unmarried pre-pubescent girl, generally aged between one and 16, is worshipped as the living embodiment of the divine feminine and Goddess Durga.
Devotees offer water, clothes, flowers, and gold and silver ornaments at the feet of the Kumari during the special ritual.
Maha Saptami Puja was held this morning at temples across the country with due religious fervor. Maha Prashad was distributed among devotees after the puja.
Puja mandaps across the country came alive since last Friday with vibrant decorations, traditional Dhak beats, ringing of kashor and ghonta, conch shell blasts and ululation as the six-day grand festival began. Devotees are hopping puja pandals across the country.
A total of 33,851 puja mandaps were set up across the country this year, including 258 in the capital, according to the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad. The number of mandaps has increased by nearly 1,500 compared to last year.
The Gulshan-Banani Puja Foundation is hosting one of the most elaborate celebrations at Kamal Ataturk Park in Banani.
Makeshift pandals at Kalabagan ground and Khamarbari have also emerged as major attractions for visitors in the capital. Large makeshift mandaps and eye-catching lighting displays are drawing crowds to the venues.
Maha Navami will be celebrated on Tuesday with religious fervour and enthusiasm. Devotees will gather at temples and mandaps to offer anjali as the day will feature major concluding worship rituals and the offering of bhog.
On Wednesday, Maha Dashami will be celebrated marking the farewell to Goddess Durga. Devotees will take the idols in processions to designated rivers, ponds and other water bodies for immersion, known as Bisarjan.
