Durga Puja begins Thursday
Durga Puja, the largest religious festival of the Hindu community, is defined to start today (Thursday) with Maha Sashthi puja at temples in the united states maintaining health guidelines set by the government because of the Covid-I9 pandemic.
Preparations at all of the puja mandaps have practically been completed.
Centering the festival, devotees and artisans are busy decorating the temples and pandals across the country.
A mood of festivities persists among the devotees regardless of ages marking the festival while adequate security measures have been used the puja pandals in the united states.
The five-day festival starts with 'Bodhon' of the Goddess Durga marking Sashthi as the festival should come to an end with the immersion of the idols of the Goddess Durga in the local rivers and water bodies in the united states on October 26
The Mahalaya, the auspicious occasion heralding the advent of goddess Durga, was celebrated on September 17 last.
In Dhaka city, the main puja mandaps have been set up at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramkrishna Mission and Math, Kalabagan, Banani, Shakhari Bazar and Ramna Kali Mandir.
Recently Health Services Division issued some directives for maintaining health guidelines during the Durga Puja in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.
In line with the instructions, while entering the puja mandap, one has to keep up health guidelines, including social distancing, using hand sanitizer, and wearing masks.
Handwashing facilities, sanitizers, and thermal scanner ought to be ensured at the entry points of puja mandaps.
This season no procession will be permitted to be brought out across the country prior to the immersion of idols during Durga Puja this time around due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Your choice was taken at a gathering on law and order during Durga Puja at the house Ministry held nearly with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan in the chair on Sunday.
Earlier on October 4, the Home Ministry gave some instructions to guarantee the security of the puja mandaps and keep maintaining law and order.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages greeting the members of the country's Hindu community at this juncture.
In his message, President Hamid said, “The primary religious festival of the Bangalee Hindu community is Durga Puja. The country’s Hindu community has been celebrating the puja amid huge enthusiasm and festivity with different rituals since ancient times.”
Durga Puja is not only a religious festival but also a social one, he added.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said that Durga Puja is not only a festival of the Hindu community, rather today it has developed into a universal festivals.
Destruction of evil spirits and the worship of truth and beauty are the key top features of Durgotshob (Durga Festival), she added.
Noting that Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony since ancient times, Sheikh Hasina said, “We celebrate all religious festivals together being imbued with the motto ‘Religion for folks, a festival for all’ in Bangladesh.”
Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan inaugurated Durga Puja organized by Sanatan Samaj Kalyan Sangha at Krishibid Institute of Khamar Bari in the administrative centre this evening.
At this program, the minister said that the persons of Bangladesh are moving into peace as the country is following a non-communal spirit of Bangabandhu.
He said that Puja has been organized at 30,213 puja mandapas across the country this season, reports UNB.
