Members of the Hindu community will celebrate Saraswati Puja across the country on Friday with enthusiasm, festivity and religious fervour, worshipping the goddess of knowledge, music, art and culture.
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus greeted the Hindu community on the occasion in a message.
Saraswati Puja, also known as Basant Panchami, is observed on the Panchami Tithi of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Magha, when devotees worship Goddess Saraswati.
Traditionally, children are introduced to education on the day through the ritual known as “Hatekhori,” during which toddlers are given a slate and chalk to begin learning.
Major Hindu temples, as well as schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions, will observe the festival with traditional gaiety and religious devotion.
Students, in particular, seek blessings from Goddess Saraswati for success in education, art, music and culture.
In most temples, homes and educational institutions, the puja will begin in the morning, followed by the offering of anjali.
The Hatekhori ritual will then be performed, after which prashad will be distributed among devotees.
According to Hindu belief, Goddess Saraswati symbolises knowledge, creativity and inspiration and is worshipped at a time when nature is calm and pleasant.
The most gorgeous Saraswati Puja will be arranged on the premises of Jagannath Hall of Dhaka University where a huge number of devotees and crowd will throng to perform the religious rituals and visit the pandals circled on the playground of the university’s largest dormitory.
Jagannath Hall Provost Debashis Pal told BSS that, students of as many as 74 departments are arranging 74 puja pandals this year.
He said all-out preparations have been taken to hold the festival with enthusiasm and festivity while law enforcement agencies have also taken required security measures to avert any untoward incident.
A cultural ceremony will be arranged on Saturday, on the next day of the puja, at the Jagannath Hall ground.
Priest of Jagannath Hall Mandir Sadhan Chakrabarty said puja will begin at 9am tomorrow at the Upasanaloy to be followed by offering anjali by devotees since 10am in several rounds.
