The Saraswati Puja was celebrated across the country yesterday with traditional gaiety, religious festivity and spirit of pursuit of art and knowledge which Goddess Saraswati provides.
The devotees of Hindu people assembled at the puja mandaps and sought blessings from the Goddess of Learning for education.
The celebration also included offering of Devi Aradhona, cultural functions and staging of dramas at temples, educational institutions and domestic residences in the country.
The puja mandaps and temples were decorated with light and colourful decorative stuffs in celebration of the festival and thousands of devotees sought blessings from the Goddess of Learning.
In Rajshahi, the people celebrated the day with traditional gaiety and spirit of pursuit of art and knowledge everywhere in the division.
Puja mandaps, mandirs and a large number of educational institutions have been colourfully decorated as hundreds of devotees seek blessings since morning from the `Devi Saraswati’, the Goddess of knowledge.
The devotees, especially the students attired in colourful dresses, offered special prayers and observed fasting as per the ritual of the festival to seek knowledge and talent from the Goddess Saraswati.
In Rajshahi metropolis, a large number of images of Goddess Saraswati, symbolizing a graceful woman riding on a swan, were erected at different puja mandaps, mandirs and educational institutions, reports BSS.
Particularly, Saraswati Puja was celebrated at Rajshahi University, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi College, Rajshahi Medical College, Teachers Training College, Polytechnic Institute side by side with different educational institutions and many other points and open places in the city.
To mark the celebration, Rajshahi University Central Puja Udjapon Parishad organized a discussion and cultural function styled “Bani Archana-1422” at RU Central Mondir premises with its president Prof Nikhil Ranjan Biswash in the chair.
Indian Assistant High Commissioner in Rajshahi Abhijit Chattopadhyay and his wife Dr Patralika Chattopadhyay addressed the programme as guests of honour.
The celebration also included offering of Devi Aradhona, Pushpanjoli, `archanas’, `anjolis’, `aratis’, distribution of `Prashad’, `Arati Competitions’, cultural functions and staging of drama.
Similar reports on celebration of Saraswati Puja were received here from Chapainawabganj, Natore, Naogaon, Bogra, Joypurhat, Pabna and Sirajganj districts.
Our Barisal correspondent said on the occasion, most of the educational institutions of the city set up Puja Mandop and placed the books and educational items on the foot of the idol of Saraswati to get her blessing in educational life.
Religious rituals, special prayer, aroti, discussion, cultural functions were also held.
