Durga Puja, the most significant religious festival for the Bangalee Hindu community, begins today with the invocation of Goddess Durga on Maha Shasthi, held at temples and makeshift mandaps across the country amidst great religious enthusiasm and festivity.
The five-day annual Sharadiyo Durgotsab starts with the Kalparambho ritual in the morning, followed by other ceremonies, including Adhibash and Amantran (invitation) in the late afternoon.
On October 10, the second day of the festival, Maha Saptami puja will be performed in the morning. During this ritual, a nabapatrika — a bundle of nine plants, including a banana tree, wrapped in a white saree with red borders — will be bathed in the holy Ganges` water and placed next to Ganesha.
On the third day, October 11, Maha Ashtami, various rituals such as Ashtami puja, offering Anjali, Kumari Puja, and Sandhi Puja will take place. The tithi for Maha Nabami will also begin on this day and continue until 6:12 am on October 12, so the Maha Nabami rituals will be observed across both days.
Dashami Puja will be conducted on October 12, and the festival will conclude on October 13 with the immersion of the idols in nearby rivers or ponds.
The Hindu community believes that Goddess Durga descends from heaven to Earth during the puja, and this year, she is said to arrive on a palanquin.
The country is already buzzing with excitement as Durga Puja approaches. Hindus are eagerly anticipating the ceremonies, which will be filled with devotional chants, incense smoke (dhup), the sound of drums (dhak-dhol), kansar-mandira, and ululation (uludhoni).
According to government data, Durga Puja will be celebrated at 32,666 mandaps nationwide, including 257 in the capital city. In Dhaka, prominent puja mandaps will be at locations such as Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramkrishna Math and Mission, Banani, Kalabagan, Shakhari Bazar, Shiddeshwari Kali Mandir, Ramna Kali Mandir, Jagannath Hall at Dhaka University, Khamar Bari in Farmgate, Lalbagh Rishipara, Rajarbagh Kalimandir, and the old part of Dhaka, including Tanti Bazar.
Apart from religious rituals, activities like devotional song performances, clothes distribution, Aroti competitions, and voluntary blood donation drives will be held at Dhakeshwari National Temple.
Large-scale celebrations will also take place in major divisional cities like Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna, and Sylhet, as well as in district towns such as Faridpur, Dinajpur, Jashore, Kushtia, and Satkhira.
As per Hindu scriptures, during the Treta Yuga, Lord Rama fought against Dashanan Ravana. He worshipped Goddess Adyashakti Mahamaya (Debi Durga) in autumn to gain strength for the battle. After successfully defeating Ravana and rescuing Goddess Sita, the tradition of Durgotsab began, and it has been celebrated in autumn ever since.
To ensure the safety of the celebrations, comprehensive security measures will be implemented across the country. A central police control room will be set up at Dhakeswari National Temple to monitor security at the puja mandaps in the capital, as it is done every year.
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