Durga Puja, the largest Hindu festival for Bangalees, brings blessings to people as well as business with the invocation (bodhon) of the goddess.
It is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates worship of the goddess, Durga. The key part of the five-day festivities starts today and ends on Sunday with immersion.
A total of 27,000 pandals (mandaps) have been set up across Bangladesh this year to celebrate Durga Puja.
About Tk 200 crore would be circulated around this festival, said Subrata Chowdhury, president of Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad.
The number of Puja mandaps in Dhaka increased to 191 this year from 171 last year, of which about 80 pujas will be held in old Dhaka.
Budgets to conduct these pujas in Bangladesh may vary from Tk 30,000 to Tk 50 lakh each.
To finance the festivals, the main sources include members' subscription fees, publishing souvenirs, donations and sponsorships. The government also provides assistance by donating money and rice, and it has already allocated Tk 1.5 crore.
Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee generally organises a central puja in Dhaka.
"We mainly collect members' subscription fees and donations to fund the activities," says Biresh Chandra Saha, president of Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee.
He said they also collected Tk 9 lakh so far by publishing souvenirs and Tk 2 lakh in sponsorship from Grameenphone. Nearly 75 percent of the cost of puja is incurred to set up the stage, lighting and idol. The rest is mainly spent on distributing offerings.
The main Puja mandap in the capital is setup at the Dhakeshwari National Temple. Large mandaps have also been built at Jagannath Hall of Dhaka University, the Ramkrishna Mission, Ramna Kali Mondir, Siddheshwari Kali Mondir, Tanti Bazar, Shankhari Bazar, Bangla Bazar and at Mohakhali and Farmgate.
The Hindu community of Narayanganj is also abuzz. It is hosting more than 35 pujas this year, each promising to be more colourful than the next.
Satyajit Saha, an executive member of Taan Bazar Sarbajanin in Narayangonj, said: “This year, the puja budget is nearly Tk 15 lakh, of which, Tk 2.5 lakh will be spent on the idol, Tk 5 lakh on lighting and decoration and the rest to entertain guests and purchase puja instruments."
The puja festival brings opportunities for small and medium enterprises in the lighting and decoration businesses.
"Business will peak as Durga Puja is approaching," says Shamim Ahmed, general manager of DJ Pro, a sound system and lighting service provider. "We see brisk business during the festival -- over 30 percent growth in total turnover than other times."
Entertainment companies are also ready to cash in this year on Durga Puja.
Boishakhi TV, a private satellite television, has designed special programme for the festival. They will telecast tele-films, drama, Bangla movies and live musical programmes for three days.
“We got positive responses from the ad agencies,” says Kazi Shameen Mehede, assistant general manager of marketing and sales of Boishakhi TV. "We hope to achieve our target of Tk 30 lakh."
Retail businesses in the country are also flying high.
Kay Kraft, a fashion brand, is seeing positive growth in sales during the festival.
“We have witnessed a nearly 15 percent growth in sales during this puja,” says Khalid Mahmood Khan, entrepreneur of Kay Kraft.
Aarong, a leading fashion house, also experienced good sales in the last two weeks in its home décor and clothing segment.
"We brought out a colourful clothing range for puja," says Farzana Halim Hai, head of marketing of Aarong.
Clay idol-makers are also seeing brisk trade at this time as they got large numbers of work orders.
Shree Pati Paul, an idol maker from Gopalgonj, who made the Durga Puja's idol at Jagannath Hall Temple, is happy because he made 18 idols this year.
The cost of each idol may range between Tk 5,000 and Tk 2.5 lakh.
Chitta Paul, an idol maker in Narail, has also seen good trade because he made 20 Durga idols this year.