The countdown to Durga Puja, the largest religious festival of Bangladesh’s Hindu community, began on Saturday with the observance of Mahalaya across the country.
Temples and religious institutions, including those in Dhaka, arranged various religious and cultural programmes to mark Mahalaya, which heralds the arrival of Goddess Durga.
At the Dhakeshwari National Temple, a series of religious and cultural events were held at dawn. Ramna Kali Mandir also hosted a large-scale Mahalaya celebration at dawn.
Mahalaya marks the end of Pitru Paksha, the fortnight dedicated to remembering ancestors, and the beginning of Devi Paksha, the divine fortnight. Devotees will offer prayers and pay homage to their deceased ancestors through traditional rituals.
According to Hindu belief, Mahalaya marks the beginning of Goddess Durga’s journey from Kailash to her parental home on Earth, where she is worshipped during Durga Puja.
Sadhan Chakrabarty, chief priest of Dhaka University’s Jagannath Hall Upashanalaya, said Goddess Durga will arrive on a horse (ghotak) and depart by boat (nauka) this year.
As Bijaya Dashami falls on 21 October, the goddess’s departure by boat is traditionally considered a sign of abundant harvests and plentiful rainfall.
Durga Puja will be celebrated at 33,851 mandaps nationwide, nearly 1,500 more than last year. The government funding for puja mandaps has been increased to Tk5 crore from Tk4 crore following directives from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
The government has also extended the Durga Puja holiday to three days through an executive order in response to a longstanding demand from the Hindu community.
Combined with the weekly Friday and Saturday holidays, the extended break will provide a five-day holiday period from 20-24 October.
Preparations for the five-day festival are underway across the country, with puja committees and temple authorities busy completing pandals, installing idols, arranging lighting and finalising religious and cultural programmes.
Durga Puja will formally begin with Maha Shashthi on 16 October and continue through Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami before concluding with Bijaya Dashami on 21 October.
On the final day, devotees will bid farewell to Goddess Durga by immersing idols in rivers, ponds and other designated water bodies in a ritual known as Bisarjan.
The festival commemorates Goddess Durga’s victory over the demon king Mahishasura and symbolises the triumph of good over evil.
The main rituals will begin on Maha Shashthi with Kalparambha and Bodhan, the ceremonial invocation of the goddess. Maha Saptami will feature the Nabapatrika, or Kola Bou, ritual, while Maha Ashtami will include the significant Sandhi Puja performed at the transition between Ashtami and Navami. The major worship ceremonies will conclude on Maha Navami.
Authorities are also taking steps to ensure security during the celebrations. The Home Ministry will use a mobile application previously deployed by the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC) to facilitate rapid reporting of any untoward incidents and enable swift responses.
The ministry has instructed relevant agencies to ensure uninterrupted electricity supplies at puja venues. Mandap organisers have been directed to keep generators on standby and maintain rechargeable lighting systems as backup in case of power outages.
Durga Puja remains one of the most significant religious and cultural celebrations for Bangladesh’s Hindu community, bringing together devotees and visitors from different faiths and reflecting the country’s tradition of communal harmony and peaceful coexistence.
