Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, will begin on Wednesday at temples across Bangladesh amid tight security, reports Daily Sun.
The five-day-long Durga Puja celebration will begin with the unveiling of the face of the deity and Kalparambho on the day of Maha Sashthi, and it will end on 13 October with the immersion of the idols of goddess Durga in nearby rivers and other water bodies.
Recitation of the verses from the Holy Chandi and blowing of conch shells (Shankha) and beating of drums will be heard from temples and pandals in the city and elsewhere throughout the day.
Incidents of vandalism of Durga idols in several parts of the country have spread panic among devotees. The interim government, however, has assured the highest level of cooperation in celebration of the annual religious festivity.
Keeping all concerns away, a very happy atmosphere was seen in many puja mandaps (marquees) in the capital on Monday.
Exquisitely crafted and decorated life-size idols of the Goddess Durga, the symbol of eradicating evils, depicting her slaying the demon Mahishasura are set up at almost all temples and Durga Puja pandals.
The celebrations also include other major deities of Hinduism, such as goddess Lakshmi, Saraswati, god Ganesha, and Kartik, who are children of goddess Durga and lord Shiva.
Now the idol artisans are giving finishing touches while staffs of decorators are setting lights, chairs, and sound systems.
Ratan Paul has been working as an idol artisan for the last 14 years. While talking to the Daily Sun at Ramna Kali Temple, he was using his brush to give the last-minute touch to make idols lively. He said he was expecting to put clothes on the idols and complete all other tasks of decoration by Monday night.
Apart from the Ramana Kali Temple, Ratan Pal is making idols for Kalabagan, Manipuripara, Tejkunipara, Shaheenbagh, and Azimpur mandap in the capital on the temple premises. He said once the idol is fully prepared, these will be delivered to the mandaps concerned.
According to the government data, Durga Puja will be celebrated in 32,666 temples and makeshift puja mandaps across the country, including 253 mandaps in the capital, this year.
The home ministry has already issued a set of directives for the field administration and law enforcement agencies to ensure peaceful celebration of the puja while maintaining law and order in the country.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
