Durga Puja begins tomorrow

Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Bangalee Hindu community, will begin tomorrow with incarnation of Goddess Durga on the day of Maha Shasthi at temples and makeshift mandaps across the country amid due religious fervor and gaiety.

The annual five-day Sharadiyo Durgotsab will commence with Kalparambho tomorrow morning which will be followed by Adhibash, Amantran (invitation) and Bodhon (incarnation) in the late afternoon as Maha Shasthi Tithi starts on 12.31am on Friday.

Dhakeshwari National Temple priest Barun Chakrabarty said the festival will begin 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.

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).

BPUP general secretary Prof Chandranath Poddar said the country saw Durga Puja celebration at 32,168 mandaps including 241 in the capital last year.

He said meeting have been held with law enforcement agencies and concerned departments of the government for the peaceful celebration of the puja as several top officials of law enforcement agencies already visited key temples including Dhakeshwari temple and assured of providing all-out security measures.