Durga Puja begins today
Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Bengali Hindu community, begins today with Maha Sashthi, at temples across the country amid festive fervour and stringent security.
Preparations at all Puja mandaps have nearly been completed, as devotees and artisans were busy giving final touches on idols and mandaps yesterday.
In separate messages, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina conveyed greetings to the members of the country's Hindu community, marking the festival.
The five-day festival starts with 'Bodhon' of the Goddess Durga today, and will come to an end with the immersion of idols of Durga in rivers and water bodies across the country on October 19, marking 'Dashami'.
To mark 'Shashthi' today, recitation of verses from the Holy Chandi blowing of shankha (conch shells) and beating of dhak-dhol (drums) will be heard in temples and mandaps throughout the day. The Shashthi puja will begin through Kalparombha at 6:30am.
Maha Saptami puja will be held tomorrow; Maha Ashtami, Kumari Puja and Sandhi Puja on Wednesday; Maha Nabami Puja on Thursday and Bijoya Dashami on Friday.
Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad General Secretary Nirmal Kumar Chattarjee said as many as 31,272 permanent and temporary mandaps have been set up in the country, including 234 in the capital this year.
In Dhaka city, the largest number of devotees will be seen at the 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 mandaps throughout the country, including the capital, with deployment of additional squads of Ansars, police, Rab and other law enforcers to ensure peaceful celebrations throughout the festival. Besides, voluntary groups will also perform duties at the puja mandaps.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal had earlier said law enforcers will be deployed across the country for the five days of the Durga Puja, adding that the government has banned the use of crackers and all sorts of drugs during the Puja.
Social networking sites would also be put under surveillance so that no group could spread rumour to disrupt communal harmony ahead of Durga Puja, the minister added.
All puja committees have installed CCTV cameras and metal detectors at their mandaps.
On the eve of the festival, leaders of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, Mahanagar Sarbojonin Puja Committee and Bangladesh Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikya Parishad expressed greetings to members of all communities of the country.
The organisations also urged organisers across the country to keep processions of Bijoya Dashami suspended from 12:00 noon to 2:00pm on the day, as it coincides with Juma prayers.