Saraswati Puja, one of the key religious events of the Hindu faith, was celebrated at the Jagannath Hall premises of Dhaka University (DU) amid much enthusiasm, festivity and religious fervor.
Although a religious festival of the Hindu community, the event attracts people of all faiths and class for its colourful displays and festivities.
The celebration at Jagannath Hall began at 8am with anjali, the offering of tributes to the goddess, which was followed by hatekhori and distribution of prashad.
It also included debi aradhana, pushpanjali and cultural functions.
In the Hindu faith, the goddess Saraswati is the personification of knowledge, arts, science and crafts.
Traditionally, children are introduced to education and learning on the day of Saraswati Puja. This ritual is called hatekhori. Toddlers are usually given a slate and chalk and taught to write the alphabet.
As Saraswati is considered the goddess of wisdom and knowledge, Hindu devotees, especially students, celebrate the Puja in different educational institutions and temples.
67 mandaps this year
In what has become a unique tradition, students from different departments and institutes of the university showcased their uniquely themed puja mandaps [pavilions with idols] at the Jagannath Hall premises.
This year there are 67 different puja mandaps on the grounds of Jagannath Hall. Themes for the mandaps varied from chemistry labs to the appearance and the message of the mandap decorations has become somewhat of a competition among the departments over the years.
People from Hindu community offer tribute to the goddess at Jagannath Hall premise in Dhaka University on February 10, 2019 | Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune
Female students and young women from around the city thronged the hall grounds wearing sharis and floral tiaras on their heads. Students from different dormitories gathered on the grounds from the morning to hang out, decked out in festive traditional wear.
Around 11am, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni visited the place, accompanied by DU vice chancellor (VC) Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman, Pro-VC Prof Mohammad Samad, Proctor Golam Rabbany and Jagganath hall provost Prof Ashim Kumar Sarkar.
Speaking to the press at the venue, the minister called upon everyone to retain the atmosphere of non-communalism and democracy.
She called upon students to bring the light of knowledge to banish all darkness from the society.
Hindu devotees gathered around the pond to worship the goddess of Wisdom. Puja mandaps, temples and a large number of educational institutions were colorfully decorated as thousands of devotees sought blessings since morning from the goddess with traditional gaiety.
The Puja is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Magh in the Bengali calendar, the day of goddess Saraswati’s birth according to Hindu faith. The day is called 'Vasant Panchami'.
