ZCZC
BSS-41
SARASWATI-PUJA-CELEBRATION
Saraswati Puja celebrated
DHAKA, Jan 30, 2020 (BSS) – The Hindu community today celebrated one of
their main religious festivals Saraswati Puja, worshiping the goddess of
knowledge, music, art and culture, across the country like elsewhere in the
world amid much enthusiasm, festivity and religious fervor.
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 celebration also included offering of Devi Aradhona, puspoanjoli,
archanas, anjolis, aratis, distribution of prashad, arati competitions,
cultural functions and staging of dramas at temples, educational institutions
and residences in the country.
Members of Hindu community of the country of all ages came to the Puja
venues with their family in the early morning.
In most places, the Puja began in the morning followed by offering of
“anjali”. Then the children were imparted “hatekhori” (introduction to
learning) which was ended with distributing prashad (foodstuff devoted to the
goddess) among the devotees.
The Saraswati Puja or Basant Panchami is celebrated on the fifth day of
the Bengali month of Maagh each year when the Hindus worship goddess
Saraswati to mark the coming of spring.
President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in separate
messages, on Wednesday greeted the Hindu community on the occasion of the
Saraswati Puja.
According to Hindu faith, goddess Saraswati represents power, creativity
and inspiration and presents herself when the weather is pleasant and nature
is in its full grandeur.
The most decorative and gorgeous celebration of Saraswati Puja was
arranged on the premises of Jagannath Hall of Dhaka University where a huge
number of devotees and crowd were thronged to perform the religious rituals
and visit the pandals circled on the playground of the university’s largest
dormitory.
Students from 70 departments, institutes and faculties of the university
have made arrangements for the puja on the playground of the dormitory this
year.
On Dhaka University campus, the Puja was also organized at all female
dormitories -Rokeya Hall, Samsun Nahar Hall, Bangladesh Kuwait Moitri Hall,
Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall and Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall.
The Puja was also arranged at Ram Krishna Mission, Jagannath University,
Siddheswari Temple, Supreme Court premises, Farashganj, Shakhari Bazar, Tanti
Bazar and different other places in old Dhaka, Banani, Dhaka College, Eden
Girls’ College, BUET, Ramna Kali Mandir and Maa Anandamayi Ashram, Tejgaon
College, Stamford University and different educational institutions in the
city.
On January 18, the Election Commission decided to defer elections to both
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC)
from January 30 to February 1 as the elections coincided with Saraswati Puja.
BSS/MMM/TAN/1932 hrs