Durga Puja begins

The Hindu community celebrates the first day of their biggest religious festival Durga Puja with due grace and festivity. Photo: Shafiqul Alam

On the second day of five-day long Durga Puja, the Hindu devotees will celebrate the Mahasaptami today marking Goddess Durga's victory over demon Mahishashura.
The victory of Durga, daughter of the majestic Himalayas, over the devil symbolises the triumph of good over evil.
On Mahasaptami Puja today, the devotees will recite hymns and offer flowers seeking blessings from Durga the Durgatinashini--saviour of humankind from all evils.
The devotees across the country yesterday celebrated Mahashashthi on the first day of Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of Hindu community, through blowing conches, ringing bells and cymbals, and booming drums (dhak) amid high-pitched ululation by women.
Thousands of devotees attended the mandaps (worship pavilions) to receive Durga and her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh on earth.
Hindus believe the goddess descend on earth at the invocation and supplication of the devotees through Bodhon rituals during the Mahashashthi, the formal start of the puja.
The origin of Durga Puja can be traced back to the 15th century. Interestingly with the ascent of Moguls, Durga Puja became more popular. Grand celebrations, gala feasts and huge fanfare became part of the festival.
As a festival, Durga Puja was first organised by Raja Kangshanarayan of Taherpur in Rajshahi in the month of Aswin (in the season of autumn) in the Bengali year 887 and then by Bhabananda Mazumdar of Nadiya in 1606.
It is believed that goddess Durga appeared in the midst of the commoners following the prayer of King Kangsa. Marking the occasion, the first Durga worship was held at Taherpur king's palace.
Rama, elder son of King Dasharatha, had earlier offered the puja in autumn to seek blessings from the deity to save people from the "repression and misrule" of Lanka Raj Ravana.
With her boon, Rama destroyed the kingdom of Ravana and "annihilated the tyrant monarch."
The government has taken adequate measure to ensure maximum security for maintaining a sound atmosphere during the Durga Puja.
Earlier, Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun had directed the law enforcement agencies to keep sharp vigilance to resist any untoward incident during the Durga Puja so that the Hindu community can celebrate Durga puja without any disturbance.
In a statement, President Zillur Rahman said he is very happy as Durga Puja is being observed in a befitting manner with due solemnity across the country.
In a separate message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasian said the main characteristic of the Durga Puja is to destroy evil power and establish truth and beauty.
State Minister for Home Affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku visited different temples and mandaps of Sutrapur and Rayerbazar area in the city yesterday. During the visit, he directed the law enforcement agencies to perform duty with maximum alertness.
Additional police and ansars have already been deployed at different puja mandaps. A contingent of 30 security personnel including nine ansars has been posted at each vulnerable puja mandap while 16 personnel including five ansars at each less-vulnerable mandap and 11 personnel including five ansars at each normal puja mandaps.
Around 24,000 puja mandaps have been set up in the country including 172 in Dhaka this year. The number of mandaps has been raised by around 2,500 across the country and nine in the city over that of last year's.
Leaders of different social, political and cultural organisations including Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), Sree Sree Ram Shita Mandir Committee, Jatiya Hindu-Moitri Parishad, in separate statements, have greeted the countrymen on the occasion of Durga Puja.
Dhaka Mahanagar Sarbojaneen Puja Committee and Bibekanando Shiksha O Sangskriti Parishad will separately distribute new clothes among the poor people on the occasion today.