Barishal Correspondent :
Preparations for a five-day celebration of ‘Sharodiya Durga Utsab’, the main religious festival of the Bangalee Hindu community, are going on at the 600 mandops in the city and other parts of the district.
The festival will start on October 14 at more than 562 puja-mandops (alter) of the district and 38 in Barisal city, informed Manik Mukharjee Kudu, Secretary of District Puja Udjapon Parishad.
It will conclude with immersion of the idols and images of the deities in different rivers, canals, and ponds amid exchanging greetings of ‘Bijoya Dashami’ on October 19, said Suranjit Dutta Litu, secretary city unit of the parishad.
On other hand, highest numbers of 562 puja mandops in district would at Agoiljhara upazila including 146, and among others 111 would in Wazirpur, 82 in Gournadi, 72 in Bakerganj, 58 in Banaripara, 24 in Mehendiganj, 23 in Babuganj, 21 in Sadar, 14 in Hizla and 11 in Muladi upazilas, he added.
However, high price of raw materials used for making idols coupled with increase of other costs, affects this year’s preparations for five-day ‘Sharodiya Durga Puja” in the district, said Rakhal Chandra Dey, district puja udjapon parishad president.
Swapan Kumar Kar, Organizing Secretary of city Puja Udjapon Parishad, said the 38 puja mandops of Barishal city includes 33 Sarbojonin (general) and 5 personal
The cost varies from Tk 20-50 thousand for the team of makers according to the sizes.
Lodging and feedings provided by the mandop committee, said Nitai Pal and his team coming from Faridpur working at least 2 puja mandops in the city.
Prices of the raw materials like collecting clays, straws , bamboos, cloths, ropes and colours and other things used for making the idols have increased by 10 to 20 percent compared to last year, said the pals and the festival management committees of different puja mandops.
On other hand, costing for fooding and lodging of the artisans and their team members also increased, said Suranjit Datta Litu, City Puja Udjapon Parishad Secretary.
Making beautiful Idols also makes the Puja beautiful and idol makers creating that in competitive mood, said Kishor Kumar Dey, president of Shangkar Math Puja committee. Suman Pal of Kalashkathi of Bakerganj, Idol maker of this mandop said at least 5-8 people need 18-20 days for making a large ‘protima’ and the smaller ones take 15-16 days.
Gopal Saha, Treasurer of Jgonnath Dev Puja Mandir, said, they engaged Sujan Pal of Faridpur for making idols of their temple and hoping that it would be best in the city expending more than 1.3 lakh taka.
Habibur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner, Barishal, said administration will allot special financial grants for puja mandops while special security, undisrupted electricity and water supply, traffic control arrangements would be made for the convenience of worshipers and visitors during the festival.
Bagerhat Correspondent adds: Brisk preparations are afoot here to celebrate the 5-day long Durga Puja, the greatest religious festival of Hindu Community will begin in Bagerhat district town and its all the nine Upazilas on October 15 (Monday) with religious fervour, gaiety, solemnity, peaceful and happy atmosphere. According to the belief of the Hindu community, this year the Goddess Durga will appear on the earth by horse and departure the same by litter.
According to Abanish Chakrabarty alias Sona, General Secretary of Bagerhat District Unit of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad (BPUP), as many as 612 Puja Mandops (pandels) are being erected in Bagerhat district town and its all the nine Upazilas. The number of Puja Mandops in the district town is 12 while the highest number of Puja Mandops (143) is being erected in Chitalmari Upazila. The numbers of Upazila wise Puja Mandops are 112 in Bagerhat Sadar, 143 in Chitalmari, 76 in Morregganj, 74 in Mollahat, 63 in Fakirhat, 43 in Kachua, 42 in Rampal, 33 in Mongl and 26 in Sharankhola.
On the occasion Hindu devotees irrespective of sexes and ages will be clad their best, visit the Puja Mandops and offer prayer to the Goddess Durga for removing all distresses and evils from the earth.
The biggest Puja Mandop of the district as well as in the country is being erected at Shikdarbari within Khanpur Union Parishad under Bagerhat Sadar Upazila with the initiative of a business magnate named Lyton Shikdar. As many as 701 idols of deities are being installed on the Puja Mandops based on the stories depicted in the holy books Mahabharat and Ramayan.
