ZCZC
BSS-39
DURGA-PUJA-MAHASHTAMI
Mahashtami celebrated in country
DHAKA, Oct 17, 2018 (BSS) – Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Bangalee Hindu community, entered the third day today with the celebration of “Mahashtami” with much enthusiasm and religious fervor at temples across the country.
The five-day Durga Puja festival began on Monday with the incarnation (Bodhon) of Goddess Durga on the day of Maha Shashti.
Maha Ashtami, Kumari Puja and Sandhi Puja were performed today, while Maha Nabami Puja will be celebrated on Thursday and Bijoya Dashami on Friday.
The Durga Puja festival will come to an end with the immersion of the idols of the goddess Durga on the day of Bijoya Dashami in the nearby rivers and water bodies across the country on October 19.
A mood of festivities is being witnessed among the devotees irrespective of ages marking the festival while adequate security measures have been taken in the puja pandals in the country.
Draped in new dresses, a large number of devotees of all ages are thronging the city puja pandals, particularly at Dhakeshwari National Temple, and offering prayers before the goddess Durga seeking peace, prosperity and welfare of the country and its people.
Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad General Secretary Nirmal Kumar Chattarjee said as many as 31,272 permanent and temporary mandaps were erected in the country, including 234 in the capital city this year.
In Dhaka city, large crowds of devotees are being seen at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramkrishna Mission and Math, Kalabagan, Banani, Shakhari Bazar and Dhaka University Jagannath Hall puja mandaps.
Security was beefed up in all Puja pandals throughout the country, including the capital, with the deployment of additional squads of Ansars, police, RAB and other law enforcers for peaceful celebration of the festival. Besides, voluntary groups are also performing duties at the puja pandals.
All Puja committees installed close circuit cameras and metal detectors at their mandaps.
Apart from offering prayers before the goddess, Dhakeshwari National Temple has chalked out other programmes for the five-day festival including rendition of devotional songs, distribution of clothes among the poor, distribution of Mohaprosad, Arati competition, voluntary blood donation and bringing out a Bijoya Dashami procession in the city from the temple premises.
Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee this year decided that the immersion of idols of Durga Puja would be done by 10 pm on the day of Bijoya Dashami across the country.
The organisations also urged organizers of Durga Puja across the country to keep the processions of Bijoya Dashami off from 12 noon to 2pm on the day coinciding with the Juma prayers.
BSS/ZRM/MMR/BR/2005