The five-day Durga Puja, the largest religious festival of the Hindu community, is being celebrated across the country amid much enthusiasm and festivity.
KHULNA: Maha Saptami, the second day of the five-day Sharadiyo Durga Puja, was celebrated on Thursday amid due religious fervour and gaiety at all puja mandaps in the district.
Temples and makeshift mandaps witnessed huge devotees and visitors as beautifully crafted idols of Goddess Durga were installed formally on Maha Shasthi on Wednesday.
Though the puja began from Maha Shasthi, devotees started visiting puja pandals and mandaps from Thursday morning on the day of Maha Saptami.
Dressed in traditional red and white colour sharee and panjabi, a massive number of devotees were seen visiting puja pandals across the city on Thursday.
Temples and mandaps have been illuminated and decorated gorgeously marking the puja as some puja pandals were portrayed in different theme signifying different aspects of life and religious stories.
While visiting different puja mandaps, it was seen that the Maha Saptami puja was observed across the city in the morning with religious fervour.
Maha Saptami puja was offered later to Goddess Durga at temples and makeshift mandaps in Khulna followed by offering of Anjali to Goddess by devotees who kept fasting till the puja.
Later, prashad (food and water offered to a deity during worship) was distributed among the devotees.
About the rituals performed at the city's Arjya Dharmasava Temple on Maha Saptami on Thursday, City Unit Puja Udjapan Parishad General Secretary (GS) Proshanta Kumar Kundu said that nabapatrika snan was held in the morning followed by Maha Saptami Puja, offering of Anjali and distribution of prashad.
Identical rituals were also held at all temples at all Puja mandaps in the city, he said.
Manosh Kumar Ghosh, president of Arjya Dharmosava Puja Udjapan Committee, said that priests along with devotees carry out the nabapatrika snan in the morning and later, puja was offered to Goddess Durga. A large number of devotees offered Anjali and got prashad at that time.
Temples and puja mandaps are now witnessing recitation of verses from the Holy Sri Sri Chandi, blowing of conch shells and beating of traditional dhak-dhols (traditional drums), kashor since Wednesday and it will continue until immersion of idols on the day of Bijoya Dashami on October 13.
On the third day of Maha Ashtami on October 11, different rituals including offering of Anjali will be held in the morning and Sandhi Puja in the late afternoon or in the evening.
Sandhi Puja will be offered at a transition point between Ashtami and Nabami.
Durga Puja is being celebrated at mandaps across the country this year including 125 in the city and 791 in the district, according to City and District Unit Puja Udjapan Parishad.
Stringent security measures have taken in the city and district during the celebration of Durga Puja to avert any untoward situation.
KISHOREANJ: The biggest religious festival of the Hindu Community in Bangladesh is being celebrated in 396 puja mandaps in 13 upazilas of the district.
The five-day Durga Puja began from October 9 and will conclude on October 13.
According to district administration, mandaps included 69 in Kishoreganj Sadar Upazila, 15 in Karimganj, 11 in Pakunida, 14 in Hossainpur, 33 in Katiadi, 61 in Bajitpur, 31 in Kuliarchar, 23 in Bhairab, 40 in Itna, 19 in Mithamain, 51 in Austagram, 13 in Nikli and 16 in Tarail upazilas. Of them, eight mandaps were personally set up.
Police administration divided the mandaps in three sections, general, important and more important considering security factors.
Earlier, a preparatory meeting with Hindu community leaders and others to celebrate the festival peacefully was held in the conference room of Deputy Commissioner (DC) on September 19 with DC Fouzia Khan in the chair.
Police Superintendent (SP) Mohammad Hasan Mahmud said, they have taken all kinds of measures to celebrate the festival peacefully.
At the meeting, leaders of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad- district unit and Upazila units decided not to beat drums and other musical instruments during the time of prayers of the Muslim community.
A decision was also taken to open a control room in the district and upazilas each during the festival to watch the law and order situation in all the puja mandaps.
Initiative has also been taken to provide uninterrupted power supply to the mandaps at night to enable the Hindu devotees in offering their puja prayers.
District Puja Udjapan Parishad's President Narayan Datta Prodip said, necessary preparations to hold the Durga Puja peacefully have been taken. This year the number of idols has been increased, he added.
PABNA: According to e Bangladesh Hindu Christan Oikya Parishad- Pabna, Durga Puja are being celebrated in 330 temples in different areas of nine upazilas of the district.
These included 50 mandaps in Sadar Upazila, 32 in Ishwardi, 16 in Atghoria, 51 in Chatmohar, 54 in Bera, 19 in Bhangura, 58 in Sujanagar, 13 in Faridpur, and 41 in Santhia Upazila.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner (DC) said, they have taken a strong position to hold the festival joyful.
The district administration conducted a series of meeting with Army, RAB, Police, UNOs of all upazila, civil society members and also Hindus leaders, the DC added.
Administration requested leaders of the Hindus to set up CC camera at each mandap.
RAB-12 Commander Khandoker Golam Mortuza said, they are ready for 24 hours services during the festival.
Jammat leader Principal Iqbal Hossain said, they will give services to puja mandaps for safety and securities.
Police Superintendent also held meetings with leaders of the community regarding law and order.
Provash Bhadra, president of Pabna District Puja Udjapon Parisad, said, there is prevailing a tense situation in the district centring the puja. Preparations are made to celebrate the puja as per the government guidelines.
Idol-makers have also finished their works in time.
Idol-maker Monoj Kumer said, "I have made statues for five temples in the district headquarters this year. Prices of all materials are high. So, the cost of idols is also high. I charged Tk 45,000 to 50,000 for each idol."
He was echoed by Bishnu Pada Pal of Rajbari.
He made idol in Joykali Temple, central temple in the district. "I do not have income for the rest of the year. This is the season for my annual income."
Veteran artisan Dhananjoy Kumar Pal said, "We need support to keep our inherited profession and traditional art of idol-making for the sake of heritage."
Depending on the size, the price of an idol varied from Tk 25,000 to 100,000.
The price of idols has not gone up as much as the price of clay, bamboo, twine, colour, hair and idol decoration, idol-maker Satyen said.
CHATTOGRAM: Maha Saptami, the second day of five-day long Sharadio Durga Puga, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, was celebrated on Thursday in the city as elsewhere in the district with due festivity, joy and traditional enthusiasm.
A large number of Hindu devotees were seen thronging at different puja mandaps to offer their Saptami puja, 'Kola Bao and Nabo Potrika Puja' on Thursday.
The devotees from all walks of life from Hindu community visited the J M Sen Hall, Ramkrishna Mission, Hazari Lane, Sadharghat Kalibari, Krishna Kumari, Patharghat and Goashil Danga most attractive puja mandaps of the city to perform their Saptami Puja in the morning.
The devotees participated in cultural function at 4 pm on the J M Sen Hall premises and a discussion meeting.
Religious chorus and chanting of sacred Geeta were performed peacefully by the devotees at every puja mandaps, said the Hindu community leaders.
Chattogram Metropolitan and district police and Puja committee source said, there was no report of any untoward incidents centring puja celebrations.
"A three tire security measures has taken during the Durga Puja festival so that the religious carnival could be celebrated amid festivity and religious fervour," the source added.
Advocate Chandhon Talukdar, leader of Chattogram City Puja Udjapan Parishad said that they are satisfied for adequate arrangements and support from the administration for peaceful celebration of the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community.
RAJSHAHI: The festival is being celebrated in 3,314 puja mandaps in all eight districts under Rajshahi Division in addition to 96 in Rajshahi City.
The main features of the festival are: puja, arti, recitation from scriptures, distribution of prashad, offering of devotional songs and bhajans.
Rajshahi City Unit GS of Puja Udjapan Parishad Shyamal Kumar Ghosh said that the Durga Puja is being celebrated in a festive mood here.
Attractive decorations of temples and lighting have turned the city into a festive look.
The celebration will end through the immersion of the idols of Goddess Durga on Bijoya Dashami on Sunday.
Meanwhile, foolproof security measures were taken in the city and its adjacent areas to avert any untoward incident during the festival.
Officers-in-charge of the police stations were asked to keep close contact with the puja committees round the clock.
Members of law enforcement agencies have already been deployed at all the important points of the city.
Puja Udjapan Parishad have urged the organizers to set up close circuit cameras in the major puja mandaps and arrange separate entry and exit door for male and female devotees.
Alamgir Rahman, deputy inspector general of police, said that four-tier security measures have been adopted everywhere in the division.
He further said that stern legal action will be taken against those who will be found engaged in destroying communal harmony.
RANGPUR: The Sanatan community on Wednesday began five-day celebrations of their greatest religious festival of Durga Puja with 'Bodhan' at 835 puja mandaps in the district amid festivity and contentment.
Wearing colourful dresses, the Sanatan devotees of all ages started thronging puja mandaps this morning to have a glance at goddess Durga and seek her blessings for the welfare of them and humanity as a whole.
The district and police administrations, law enforcement agencies and local units of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad have taken ample steps to ensure peaceful celebrations of Durga Puja in the city and all eight upazilas of the district.
Local leaders of the Puja Udjapan Parishad said that the five-day celebrations will end on October 13 next with the 'Bijoya Dashami' parade and immersion of the idols of goddess Durga in water bodies.
The Rangpur Metropolitan Police (RpMP) and district police have taken special measures and engaged adequate numbers of police forces alongside deployment of RAB and Ansar-VDP to ensure peaceful celebrations of puja.
Rangpur DC Mohammad Rabiul Foysal, SP Mohammad Sharif Uddin, the upazila nirbahi officers, leaders of the Sanatan community and the Puja Udjapan Parishad are visiting puja mandaps and extending cooperation to the Sanatan community people.
"We have taken sufficient steps and security measures to ensure peaceful celebrations of the five-day Durga Puja at all puja mandaps," said the DC.
The SP said that use of close circuit cameras has been ensured in every puja mandap and the police force, law enforcement agencies and puja celebration committees are working round the clock to ensure peaceful celebration of the festivity.
RpMP Commissioner Md Majid Ali said that the Sanatan community started celebrations of Durga Puja amid huge enthusiasm at all mandaps erected at different places under all six police stations of the metropolis.
"We have taken adequate measures and use of close circuit cameras has been ensured in every puja mandap and the police forces as well as the puja celebration committees are remaining vigilant to ensure peaceful celebration of the festivity," he added.
Rangpur District administration officials said, celebrations of puja festival began on Wednesday at 835 mandaps in all eight upazilas and Rangpur Metropolis in the district.
President of Rangpur Metropolitan Unit of Puja Udjapan Parishad Ram Jiban Kundu said that the Sanatan community began celebrations of puja amid huge enthusiasm at all puja mandaps erected in the metropolis as elsewhere across the district.
Sanaton devotees Bibhuti Bhushan, Dulal Chandra and Rakhi Rani expressed satisfaction over the security steps taken for the peaceful celebration.
"We are offering prayers, puja, archana, kirtons and other religious rituals peacefully amid huge enthusiasm and cheerfulness," said another devotee Nikhil Chandra Roy.
Rangpur Metropolitan Unit GS of the Puja Udjapan Parishad Advocate Prashant Kumar Roy thanked the local administrations and law enforcement agencies for taking ample steps to ensure peaceful celebrations.
