The Hindu community in Bangladesh is observing Mahalaya today, an auspicious occasion marking the start of Debi Paksha and heralding the arrival of Goddess Durga ahead of the country’s biggest religious festival for Bengali Hindus.

Mahalaya symbolically invites Durga to descend from her celestial abode in Kailash to her earthly home, accompanied by her children, and signals the formal countdown to Durga Puja, which begins next week.

In the capital, the Mohanagar Sarbojanin Puja Committee has organised a series of programmes to mark the day. The celebrations began at Dhakeshwari National Temple with "Til Tarpan," a ritual seeking peace for departed ancestors, at 7:30am, followed by the installation of the Mahalaya Ghat at 8:30am and special prayers. Similar programmes are being held in temples across the country.

Across Bangladesh, artisans are busy giving final touches to clay idols of the goddess. In Brahmanbaria, artisans at Shimulkandi Mandir were seen painting idols on Saturday, as preparations entered their final stages.

This year, some 33,576 puja mandaps will host celebrations nationwide, including 255 in Dhaka. Durga Puja will begin on September 28 with the Mahashashthi puja, followed by four days of festivities concluding with Bijoya Dashami on October 2.

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