Staff Reporter:
Five-day Sharadiya Durgotsob, the biggest religious festival of the Bangalee Hindu community, began yesterday across the country.
On Sunday last, the Hindu community members celebrated Mahalaya inviting Goddess Durga to her pa-ternal home earth from Kailash (heaven) along with her offspring Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesh and Kartik.
The Hindu community believes that Goddess Durga arrives in earth from heaven during the puja. This year she will arrive on an elephant.
The first day of the festival began with the unveiling of the face of the deity on the day of Maha Shashthi.
Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami and Maha Nabami will be celebrated on the next days while the festival will come to an end with the immersion of the idols on Bijoya Dashami on October 2.
In the capital, Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ramna Kali Mondir, Azimpur Government Colony Puja Mondop, Joykali Mondir and Sri Sri Shanidev Mondir in Shankhari Bazar are all abuzz with decoration and lighting work.
Durga Puja is being arranged at Banani, Kalabagan, Siddeshwari Kali Mandir, Jagannath Hall on Dhaka University campus, Khamar Bari at Farmgate, Lalbagh Rishipara, Rajarbagh Kalimandir and old part of Dhaka including Tanti Bazar.
Exquisitely crafted and decorated life-size clay idols of the Goddess Durga depicting her slaying the de-mon Mahishasura were set up in temples and puja mondops.
Generally, the idols are made diligently and methodically by the artisans to create exquisite pieces of artistry.
Marking the festival, the Hindu community members are also passing busy time.
Basudeb Dhar, President of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, told that the number of puja mon-dops across the country has increased this year.
Durga Puja is being celebrated in a total of 33,355 mondops and temples nationwide, with 258 in Dhaka city.
The interim government has allocated Taka five crore for Durga Puja this year.
To ensure the safety and security of the devotees, police, Ansar, BGB, RAB and other law enforcement agencies are being deployed at puja pandals. Volunteers are also assisting the law enforcers at each loca-tion.
A central control room has been established at Dhakeshwari Temple, coordinated by the Mohanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee to monitor the security arrangements.
The Cabinet Division has asked the Home Ministry, Education Ministry, Religious Affairs Ministry and other relevant authorities to closely monitor the law and order situation during the Durga Puja celebra-tions and ensure safe and joyous celebration of the festival.
