Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Bangalee Hindu community, began on Friday (October 20) with incarnation of Goddess Durga on the day of Maha Shasthi.
The annual five-day Sharadiyo Durgotsab started with Kalparambho this morning which will be followed by Adhibash, Amantran (invitation) and Bodhon (incarnation) in the late afternoon as Maha Shasthi Tithi at 12:31pm.
In the capital Dhaka, the main puja mandaps are at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramkrishna Mission and Math, Kalabagan, Banani, Shakhari Bazar, and Ramna Kali Mandir.
Major cities, including port city Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna, and Sylhet and district towns including Faridpur, Dinajpur, Jashore, Kushtia, Satkhira, are expected to witness massive celebrations.
Dhakeshwari National Temple priest Barun Chakrabarty said the festival started with Kalparambho at 8am at the temple and later in the late afternoon Adhibash, Amantran and Bodhon will be held at the base of the Bel tree on the temple premises in order to awaken Goddess Durga.
The most auspicious time to observe the Kalparmbha ritual is early morning. This involves the installation a pot or Kalash filled with water, invoking Goddess Durga on the base of a Bel plant (Bilva Tree) and taking a Sankalp (determination) to perform the Durga Puja by following all necessary rituals and practices in proper manner for the next four days.
Durga Puja will be celebrated at 32,408 mandaps across the country this year including 245 in the capital, according to Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad (BPUP).
On October 19, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman said there is no specific threat or security concern during Durga Puja, which started today.
He said puja will be celebrated in 248 mandaps in Dhaka city this year and adequate measures have been taken for the security of the mandap on the occasion of puja.
n any emergency, PHQ asked to call the police headquarters, DMP control room or Rapid Action Battalion control room.
The control room numbers are—01320001299, 01320001300, 01-55102666, 02-223381188, 02-47119988, 01320037845-46, 02-48963117 and 01777720029.
BDST: 1306 HRS, OCT 20, 2023
MSK
