Durga Puja begins with Maha Shasthi

Hindus offer prayer on Maha Shasthi on the first day of Durga puja at Ramna Kalimandir in the capital on Friday. — Sony Ramany

Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Bangalee Hindu community, began at temples and makeshift mandaps across the country on Maha Shasthi on Friday amid due religious fervor and gaiety.

Dhakeshwari National Temple priest Barun Chakrabarty said the festival began with Kalparambho at 8:00am at the temple and later in the late afternoon Adhibash, Amantran and Bodhon were held at the base of the Bel tree on the temple premises awakening Goddess Durga.

In 2023, Goddess Durga arrives and will depart in horse this year and it carries the message of war and dispute and inclement weather, Dhaka University Jagannath Hall Upasanalaya’s chief priest Sadhan Chakrabarty said adding ‘this is considered inauspicious’.

Exquisitely crafted and decorated life-size clay idols of the Goddess Durga depicting her slaying the demon Mahishasura will formally be installed at temples in midnight tonight to worship Goddess Durga for four days next before immersion of the idols in rivers, ponds or water bodies on the fifth day of Bijoya Dashami.

Durga Puja celebrations consist of many rituals having special significance.

On Saturday, the second day of the celebration, Maha Saptami puja will be held in the morning as nabapatrika, nine plants including a banana tree are tied together and wrapped in a white saree with red borders, will be bathed in the water of the holy Ganges placed next to Ganesha on that day.

On the third day of Maha Ashtami on October 22, different rituals including offering of Anjali and Kumari Puja will be held in the morning and Sandhi Puja in the late afternoon or in the evening.

Kumari Puja means worshipping of a prepubescent girl as the living incarnation or avatar of Maa Durga. She is dressed in new clothes and dressed up in floral ornaments. This ritual has its origins in the Puranas.

Sandhi Puja will be offered at a transition point between Ashtami and Nabami.  The last 24 minutes of Ashtami and the first 24 minutes of Navami are known as ‘Sandhikkhon’, said priest Barun Chakrabarty.

Maha Nabami Puja will be held on the fourth day on October 23. Dunuchi Nach takes place on that day. This is one of the most exciting rituals of the Durga Puja.

On the final day of Bijaya Dashami, puja will be offered in the morning and Darpan Bisharjan will also be held.

Sindoor khela is one the most popular part of Durga Puja on the day of Bijoya Dashami.

The five-day festival will come to an end with immersion of idols of goddess Durga and her offspring – Ganesha, Karitik, Laxmi and Saraswati – and devotees will receive Shantijol (sacred water from where deities are immersed) on that day of Bijoya Dashami.

In the past, the idols were carried on bamboo structures. However, nowadays the idols are transported in trucks or pickup vans to riverbanks and then they are placed in a boat and taken to the middle of the river for immersion.

After immersion of idols, young members of the family touch the feet of the elders to seek blessings. Some hug each other (kolakuli). Sweets such as chomchom, kalojam, sandesh, narkeler naru (mounds made of coconut and jaggery) are distributed on this day.

In the capital Dhaka, the main puja mandaps are at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramkrishna Mission and Math, Kalabagan, Banani, Shakhari Bazar and Ramna Kali Mandir.

In major divisional cities including port city Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet and district towns including Faridpur, Dinajpur, Jashore, Kushtia, Satkhira, also witness massive celebration of Durga Puja.

Durga Puja will be celebrated at 32,408 mandaps across the country this year including 245 in the capital, according to Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad (BPUP).

BPUP general secretary Prof Chandranath Poddar said the country saw Durga Puja celebration at 32,168 mandaps including 241 in the capital last year.

He said meetings were held with law enforcement agencies and concerned departments of the government for the peaceful celebration of the puja as several top officials of law enforcement agencies already visited key temples including Dhakeshwari temple and assured of providing all-out security measures.

‘We are hopeful, Durga Puja will be celebrated across the country peacefully in proper manner,’ he said.

Puja shopping is still going marking Durga Puja as major markets and malls are crowded with customers.

Stringent security measures have taken across the country during the celebration of Durga Puja to avert any untoward situation.

BSS