BSS,Gaibandha :
Preparations for holding Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu Communities in the country, are progressing fast throughout the district as the commencement of the annual event draws nearer.
The 4-day long festival of the largest community will begin this year from September 30 with due respect and religious fervor.
The festival will conclude on October 03 through the immersion of idols at different water bodies as the community will celebrate the Bijoya Dashami.
General Secretary of District Puja Celebration Parishad (DPCP) principal Paresh Chandra Saha said a total of 566 puja mandaps would be erected in all the seven upazilas in the district this year.
The number of puja mandaps increased by 6 this year than the previous year, he also said.
Of the total, some 123 puja mandaps would be erected in Sundarganj upazila, 188 in Gobindaganj, 99 in Sadar, 100 in Sadullapur, 62 in Palashbari, 57 in Shaghata and 17 in Fulchhari upazila of the district.
A preparatory meeting to celebrate the festival peacefully was held at the conference room of Deputy Commissioner (DC) here on September 14 with DC M. Ehsan-e-Elahi in the chair.
In the meeting, the leaders of Bangladesh Puja Utjapon Parishad, district and upazila units, decided not to beat the drums and other musical instruments during the time of
prayers of the Muslim community.
After visiting different puja mandaps in the district town it was seen that the artists (Malarkars) are passing their busy times at their peak hours to give finishing touches to the images of deities to make the idols very attractive and nice looking to the devotees and the visitors.
Initiative has also been taken to provide uninterrupted power supply to the puja mandaps at nights to enable the Hindu devotees in offering their puja prayers, archana, kirtons, arati and other religious rituals, said executive engineer of BPDB Sukumar Lal Sarker.
Superintendent of police M. Mofazzel Hossain said tight security measures had been taken in and around of all the puja mandaps of the district by the law enforcing agencies to ensure a peaceful atmosphere for the smooth holding the puja festival.
Talking to the BSS acting district relief and rehabilitation officer and assistant commissioner M. Nazmul Huda said the government had allocated 278 metric tons of rice for the puja mandaps to help assist the Hindu Community to celebrate the upcoming Durga Puja with festive mood.
