A Hindu priest condcting religious sermons of Durga Puja at a temple in Dhaka on Saturday, October 7, 2019 Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune
The number of puja mandaps increased by 483 this year
The biggest religious festival of the Hindus will come to an end on Tuesday with the immersion of the idols of the Goddess Durga in rivers and water bodies across the country on Bijoya Dashami.
The last day of Navratri also celebrated as Bijoya Dashami is celebrated on the 10th day of the month of Ashwin, which according to the Gregorian calendar falls either in the month of September or October.
The annual five-day “Sharodiya Durgotsab” began with the incarnation (Bodhon) of Goddess Durga on the day of Maha Sashthi on Friday.
Maha Saptami puja was performed on Saturday, Maha Ashtami on Sunday, Maha Navami on Monday.
Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad (BPUP) General Secretary Nirmal Kumar Chattarjee in a press conference earlier had said 31,398 permanent and temporary puja mandaps were set up across the country this year.
The number of puja mandaps increased by 483 this year.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Ramkrishna Mission and the puja mandap of the Dhakeshwari National Temple in Dhaka on Monday.
Hindu devotees across the country will sing and dance to ‘kirton’ before removing the idols of Durga and other Gods and Goddesses from the altar of all mandops (makeshift pavilions) for immersion.
Thousands of devotees will be joining the colourful processions, as the idols will be carried to nearby water bodies.
In Dhaka, the largest crowds of devotees were seen at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramkrishna Mission and Math, Kalabagan, Banani, Shakhari Bazar and Dhaka University Jagannath Hall puja mandaps.
Security has been beefed up at all Puja pandals throughout the country, including the capital, with the deployment of additional squads of Ansar, police, RAB and other law enforcement agencies, to ensure peaceful celebration of the festival. Besides, voluntary groups will also perform duties at the puja pandals.
Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee this year decided that the immersion of idols would be done by 10pm on the day of Bijoya Dashami across the country.