With traditional gaiety and zeal, Saraswati Puja, one of the main religious festivals of the Hindu community, was celebrated across the country yesterday. The puja is performed on Vasant Panchami every year with believers seeking blessings of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge.
“According to Hindu myth, Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and learning, rides a swan or a peacock, or is seated on a lotus,” Sadhan Chakrabarty, priest at the Ramna Kali temple, told the Dhaka Tribune.
“This year the puja is being celebrated at over 100,000 mondops across the country at the temples and educational institutions,” Puja Udjapan Parishad President Sunil Chandra Majumder said.
The puja was celebrated at Dhakeswari temple, Siddheswari temple, Ram-Krishna Mission, Supreme Court premises, Jagannath Hall of Dhaka University (DU), Jagannath University (JnU), Dhaka College, Eden Girls’ College and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology inside the capital. Like previous years, the Jagannath Hall premises became the centre of attraction with a number of idols being placed by different departments of DU.
Students from 52 departments of the university put up colourful canopies giving the whole area a festive look.
The puja was also celebrated in Kuwait Moitri Hall, Rokeya Hall, Shamsun Nahar Hall and Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall inside the campus. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Traffic Department took special steps to control the traffic situation. No vehicles were allowed to enter the road along Jagannath Hall to facilitate easy movement of visitors in the area.
Nowadays, Jagannath University has become another favorite spot of the devotees in Saraswati. Students from more than 28 departments of JnU put up mondops at the science faculty, and arts faculty playground this year.
Dr Ashok Kumar Saha, proctor of the university, said students had put up nearly 26 mondops on the university premises. He said the puja started at 1am yesterday while the “Bani Archana” was performed at 8.30am.
At 9am “pushpanjali” was offered while Prasad (food offered to the goddess) was distributed at 11am. “Arati (special prayer) was held at 6.30 pm and a cultural programme started at 7pm which continued until 10pm,” Dr Ashok said.
