Sharodiya Durgotsab ends with immersion

Sharodiya Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, ended on Wednesday amid joy, excitement and the sorrowful tone of farewell. Goddess Durga bade farewell to the mortal world with the immersion of idols in the evening.

According to puja rituals, devotees bade farewell to the goddess through Darpan Bisarjan on Wednesday morning. The immersion of idols began later from the evening.

Sanatan Dharma followers believe the main significance of Bijoya Dashami is to give up demonic tendencies of the human mind such as lust, anger, envy and greed. The main purpose of the occasion is to establish peace in the world by abandoning these tendencies and being bound together in fraternity.

The Sharodiya Durgotsab began on October 16, on the Shashthi tithi, with Chandipath, Bodhon and Adhibash for the arrival of "Anandamoyee". For the next five days, devotees paid homage to Goddess Durga through worship at puja mandaps across the country, including the capital. The festival ended with the immersion of idols on the Dashami tithi.

According to Sanatan Dharma belief, through immersion, Goddess Durga returns from the mortal world (her father's house) to her husband's home in Kailash in heaven. She will return to the earth again in autumn next year.

Earlier in the afternoon, a colourful Bijoya procession was brought out jointly by Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and Mahanagar Sarbojanin Puja Committee. After noon, devotees began gathering at Palashi intersection with idols on trucks from various mandaps in the capital to take part in the procession and immersion.

Later, the procession set out for Sadarghat with idols on hundreds of trucks. Starting from Dhakeshwari, the procession went through Shaheed Minar, High Court, Police Headquarters, Golap Shah Mazar and Court area before reaching Sadarghat. Crowds of onlookers on both sides of the road were noticeable. Police were on alert on the road and in nearby buildings.

Amid the beat of dhak and the sorrowful shadow of farewell, idols were immersed in the Buriganga River one after another in a line. Immersion also took place in the Turag River at the same time. Law enforcement agencies took all kinds of security measures for the immersion. Police patrolled the roads and river police patrolled the rivers. A team of the fire service also performed duties.

However, although idols at most mandaps across the country were immersed, the idol at Dhakeshwari National Temple was kept. Only the goddess's flowers, bel leaves and ghot used in the worship were immersed there.

According to custom, after the immersion, water (shantijol) is brought from there and kept in the auspicious pot and held in the heart. Next year, this shantijol will be placed from the heart into the pot and from the pot onto the idol for worship. At Ramakrishna Mission, idols were immersed in the mission's pond after the evening aarti. Devotees then received shantijol and had sweets.

This year, Durga Puja was held at 33,851 mandaps across the country. On the instruction of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the government grant for the mandaps was increased from Tk 4 crore to Tk 5 crore.

Along with the administration, every puja celebration committee also took its own security measures to ensure the festival went smoothly. CCTV cameras were installed at mandaps and volunteer committees were formed for guarding.

By an order, the Durga Puja holiday was extended to three days. As a result, with the weekly holidays on Friday and Saturday added, a continuous five-day holiday is being enjoyed from October 20 to 24.

Durga Puja is not only a religious festival but also an important part of Bangladesh's cultural heritage. The festival brings together people of other religions along with the Hindu community, highlighting the country's tradition of communal harmony and peaceful coexistence.