BSS, Dhaka :The Durga Puja, biggest religious festival of the Bangalee Hindu community, began yesterday with the incarnation of the Goddess Durga on the Shashthi at temples across the country.The five-day festival started with ‘Bodhon’, ‘Amontron’ and ‘Adhibas’ of the Goddess Durga in the morning yesterday marking the Shashthi. The Shashtahi Puja was held at 4 in the afternoon. The Mohasaptami Puja will be offered at 7-40 this morning. A mood of festivities persists among the devotees irrespective of ages marking the festival.Since early in the morning yesterday to mark the Shashthi, recitation of the verses from the Holy Chandi and blowing of conch shells (Shankha) andbeating of dhak-dhols (drums) had been heard in temples and pandals in the country including in the capital city. Draped in new dresses, a large numbers of devotees irrespective of ages will throng the city pandals, particularly at Dhakeshwari National Temple, and offer prayers before the Goddess Durga on the Mohasaptami day yesterday seeking divine blessings for peace, prosperity and welfare of the country and its people.The Mohashtami and Kumari Puja will be held on October 2, Mohanabami puja on October 3 and emersion of the Goddess and Biyoya Dashami the following day on October 4. The five-day Durga Puja festival will come to an end with the emersion of the images of the Goddess Durga in the nearby rivers and water bodies in the morning on October 04 (Saturday).Joint secretary of the central committee of Bangladesh Puja Utjapan Parishad Nirmal Chaterjee told BSS that a total of nearly 28,458 pandals were erected across the country including 218 in the capital city this year to celebrate the Durga Puja. Security has been beefed up in the Puja pandals throughout the country including in the capital city with the deployment of additional squads of Ansars, police, RAB and other law enforcers for peaceful celebration of the festival. Apart from offering of prayers before the Goddess Durga, Dhakeshwari National Temple at Lalbag has chalked out other programmes including rendering of devotional songs, distribution of clothes among the poor, distribution of Mohaprosad, Arati completion, voluntary blood donation and bring out a Bijoya Dashami procession in the city from the temple premises. Tastefully decorated Puja pandals were erected at Ramkrishna Mission and Math, Ramna Kalimandir O Anandamayee Ashram, Baradeshwari Kalimata Mandir, Siddheshwari Kalibari, Bholanath Mandir Ashram, Jagannath Hall, Rishipara Gautam Ashram, Gulshan Banani Sarbojonin Puja Parishad, Basabo Balurmath, Bonogram, South Maishundi, Shankhari Bazar, Tanti Bazar, Panitola, Farashganj, North Brook Hall Road, Lalbag and other places in the city.Leaders of Bangladesh Puja Utjapan Parishad, Mohanagar Sarbojonin Puja Committee and Bangladesh Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikya Parishad conveyed Puja greetings to the members of all communities of the country.
