The Hindu community throughout the Barisal region observed the Shamshan Dipali festival at the Maha Shamshan Ghats (Barisal crematorium) on Wednesday night, coinciding with the celebration of Diwali in their homes.
Thousands of members of the Hindu community from across the region, and even from outside the country, gathered at the Maha Shamshan Ghats in Kawnia Marokkhola and Aadi Shamshan Ghat in the Natun Bazar areas of the city. Devotees began offering flowers and food through rituals (Puja) and special prayers at the Shamshan Ghat in the day to seek eternal blessings for departed souls from noon onwards.
"This special religious festival has a rich history. The Maha Shamshan Dipali Festival has been observed on the subcontinent solely at Aadi Shamshan Ghat in Natun Bazaar and Maha Shamshan Ghat in Kawnia, two crematoriums in Barisal city, since 1850," said Sushanto Ghosh, member secretary of the Barisal Maha Shamshan Preservation Committee.
In the evening, the worship of Maha Shamshan Kali commenced at the Barisal Maha Shamshan Ghats in the Kawnia and Natunbazar areas, transforming the entire crematorium into a beautifully decorated space.
The cremation grounds for the Hindu community in Barisal, spanning 5 acres and 95 decimal lands in the Kawnia area of the city, were established 175 years ago. The religious fervor reaches its peak on the night before Kali Puja, as worshippers seek blessings for the departed souls of loved ones.
Hindu households will also be illuminated in celebration of this auspicious occasion.
Advocate Manabendra Batobayal, convener of the Maha Shamshan Preservation Committee, mentioned that the Hindu community has observed the Maha Shamshan Dipali festival at Aadi Shamshan Ghat in Natun Bazaar and Maha Shamshan Ghat in Kawnia since 1850.
Organizers of the festival have announced that several colorful gas-filled balloons (Fanus) will be released into the night sky at the Shamshan Ghats during Maha Shamshan Diwali. The religious festivities will also feature a fair, with stalls offering sweetmeats and traditional toys.
To ensure a peaceful environment, hundreds of uniformed law enforcement personnel have been deployed to oversee the Shamshan Diwali festival. At least twenty CCTV cameras have been placed at various points to monitor the entire Dipali area of the crematorium.
Barisal Metropolitan Police Commissioner Shafiqul Islam stated that law enforcers, including RAB, APBN, and police, as well as volunteers from the Maha Shamshan Committee, are taking stringent security measures.
Law enforcement personnel are also patrolling city roads near the Shamshan Ghats to ensure the safety of devotees and maintain peaceful inter-religious harmony.
At least 100 volunteers will be responsible for overall management and discipline in the area, as confirmed by Asim Das Murali, convener of the Shamshan Dipali Observance Committee. Additionally, the committee has decided that individuals found consuming drugs or attempting to enter the crematorium area in an intoxicated state will be immediately handed over to law enforcement agencies, according to Bijoy Bhakto, member secretary of the Shamshan Dipali Observance Committee.
