GAIBANDHA, Oct 21, 2020 (BSS) – Almost all-out preparations have been completed to hold a five-day long Durga Puja, the greatest religious festival of the Hindu Community, from Thursday in the district with due religious fervor, gaiety and solemnity.
President of District Puja Celebration Parishad Ranajit Bakhshi Surjwa said a total of 562 puja mandaps have been erected in all the seven upazilas in the district this year.
Of the total, some 101 mandaps have been erected in Sadar upazila, 131 in Sundarganj upazila, 126 in Gobindaganj upazila, 108 in Sadullapur upazila, 61 in Palashbari upazila, 66 in Shaghata upazila, and 14 in Fulchhari upazila of the district, he also said.
After visiting different puja mandaps in the district town it was seen that the artists were giving last finishing and final touches to the images of deities to make the idols very attractive and nice looking to the devotees and the visitors.
Hundreds of Hindu Community people of all ages are rushing to the markets and purchasing puja clothes to celebrate their greatest religious festival from tomorrow with much enthusiasm and religious fervor.
The whole district has taken a festive look and the devotees are getting ready to welcome the upcoming event with great enthusiasm.
Initiative has also been taken to provide uninterrupted power supply to the puja mandaps at nights to enable the Hindu devotees in offering their puja prayers, archana, kirtons, arati and other religious rituals, said an engineer of power development board.
Superintendent of police (SP) Muhammad Towhidul Islam said full-proof security measures have been taken in and around of all the puja mandaps of the district by the law enforcing agencies to ensure a peaceful atmosphere for holding the puja festival smoothly.
Police, ansar and VDP members including gram police would be deployed at the puja mandaps each and the elite forces RAB would also patrol on the road to hold the puja here smoothly, the SP also said.
Stern and lawful action would be taken against the persons who would be involved in creating anarchy and trouble at the time of puja, the SP warned.
Talking to the BSS, deputy commissioner (DC) Abdul Matin said several vigilance teams headed by additional deputy commissioners and UNOs had also been formed to help the community celebrate the festival in a befitting manner.
Control room has been opened at the office of the deputy commissioner here side by side with seven upazila headquarters each to watch the law and order situation in all the puja mandaps, the DC also said.
The government has allocated 281 tonnes of rice for the puja mandaps to help assist the Hindu Community to celebrate the Durga Puja with festive mood, the DC concluded.