Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, ended in Bangladesh on Wednesday with the immersion of idols of Goddess Durga and her children in water bodies across the country.
According to Hindu belief, Durga has returned to her husband's abode at Kailash in Devaloy through the immersion.
In the capital, thousands of people thronged the Buriganga River to observe the final phase of the festival -- immersion of the goddess.
Hindu devotees from different parts of the city came to the ghat in trucks carrying idols while singing hymns to Durga with the sounds of musical instruments such as "Shankha", "Khol", "Dhak".
Devotees were seen bidding farewell to the mother deity and her children - Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh - through the immersion of their idols, wishing Durga's return next year.
As part of the main rituals of Dashami Puja celebrations, female devotees offered vermilion at the feet of Durga at mandaps and temples across the city.
Hindu devotees, particularly women, celebrated Bijoya Dashami with sindur khela, dance and music at different Durga Puja mandaps across the capital.
Women then smeared sindur on one another’s foreheads and cheeks, sharing joy and exchanging greetings amid the festive atmosphere.
The mandaps came alive with dancing and music to the rhythmic beats of traditional drums as devotees celebrated the final day of the Sharadiya Durga Puja.
At the poignant and sorrowful moment of Bijoya, the idol of Goddess Durga was brought out of the Dhakeshwari National Temple.
After offering a final glimpse of their beloved goddess, devotees set off with the idol for immersion.
Following six days of worship, celebrations and prayers, emotions and sadness were reflected on the faces of devotees as they bid farewell to Durga.
The six-day festival started on October 16 with the incarnation of Goddess Durga. This year, Maha Saptami was celebrated for days.
Durga Puja, the annual Hindu festival also known as Sharadiya (autumnal) Durga Utsab, is the worship of "Shakti", the divine force, embodied in Goddess Durga.
It symbolises the battle between good and evil, where the dark forces eventually succumb to the divine.
This year, Durga Puja was celebrated at 33,165 mandaps across the country.
