Durga Puja Countdown Begins Tomorrow with Mahalaya Celebrations

The countdown to Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of Bangladesh’s Hindu community, will begin tomorrow with Mahalaya celebrations across the country.

Various religious and cultural programmes will be held at temples nationwide, including in Dhaka, to mark Mahalaya, which heralds the arrival of Goddess Durga. Dhakeshwari National Temple will organise a series of religious and cultural events at dawn.

Suvasish Kumar Biswas Sadhan, general secretary of the Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee, said the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh is expected to attend the ceremony.

Ramna Kali Mandir will also organise a large-scale Mahalaya celebration at dawn on Saturday, according to Mintu Basu, a joint secretary of the temple management committee.

Mahalaya marks the end of Pitru Paksha, the fortnight dedicated to paying homage to ancestors, and the beginning of Devi Paksha, the sacred fortnight associated with Goddess Durga. On this occasion, Hindus remember their departed ancestors through religious rituals and offerings, including the presentation of robes to Brahmins.

According to Hindu belief, Mahalaya marks the beginning of Goddess Durga’s journey from her heavenly abode at Mount Kailash to her parental home on Earth, heralding the annual Durga Puja celebrations.

Sadhan Chakrabarty, chief priest of Dhaka University’s Jagannath Hall Upashanalaya, said Goddess Durga would arrive on a horse and depart by boat this year. As Bijaya Dashami falls on October 21, the goddess’s departure by boat, or Nauka, is traditionally associated with abundant rainfall and agricultural prosperity, symbolised by the expression shasyashyamala vasundhara.

33,851 Puja Mandaps Across the Country

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said Durga Puja would be celebrated at 33,851 mandaps across Bangladesh this year, an increase of nearly 1,500 from the previous year.

Government assistance for the mandaps has also been raised to Tk 5 crore from Tk 4 crore following directives from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the minister said.

In another significant decision, the government has extended the Durga Puja holiday to three days through an executive order, responding to a longstanding demand from the Hindu community.

Combined with the regular Friday and Saturday weekend, the extended holiday will provide a five-day break from October 20 to 24.

Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad President Basudeb Dhar welcomed the decision, describing it as a positive step and expressing gratitude to the prime minister.

Echoing his sentiments, Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee General Secretary Sadhan said the three-day holiday would allow members of the Hindu community to celebrate the festival with greater enthusiasm.

He added that the extended break would also make travel easier for people returning to their hometowns to celebrate Puja with their families.

However, Sadhan urged the government to make the three-day Durga Puja holiday permanent from next year instead of announcing it through executive orders each year, saying the move would formally recognise the community’s longstanding demand.

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) also welcomed the decision. Its Joint Secretary General Manindra Kumar Natha said the extension had fulfilled a longstanding demand of minority communities.

Five-Day Festival to Begin on October 16

Preparations for the largest religious festival of the Bangalee Hindu community are progressing across Bangladesh and elsewhere in the world. The formal celebrations will begin with Maha Shashthi on October 16 and conclude with Bijaya Dashami on October 21.

Puja committees, temples and mandaps across the country are working to complete arrangements for the five-day festival. Preparations include building and decorating pandals, installing idols, setting up lighting and organising religious and cultural programmes.

Authorities and local communities are also taking measures to ensure security, smooth traffic movement and the safe participation of devotees and visitors throughout the celebrations.

Following Maha Shashthi, the festival will proceed through Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami before concluding with Bijaya Dashami on October 21.

On the final day, devotees will bid farewell to Goddess Durga and carry her idols in processions to designated rivers, ponds and other water bodies for immersion, a ritual known as Bisarjan.

Religious Significance and Major Rituals

Durga Puja holds profound religious and cultural significance for Bangladesh’s Hindu community. The festival commemorates Goddess Durga’s victory over the demon king Mahishasura and symbolises the triumph of good over evil.

According to Hindu mythology, Mahishasura became a threat to the gods after receiving a boon that made him invulnerable to men. In response, the gods combined their divine powers to create Goddess Durga, who fought and ultimately defeated the demon.

The principal rituals will begin on Maha Shashthi with Kalparambha and Bodhan, the ceremonial awakening and invocation of the goddess.

Maha Saptami will feature the Nabapatrika, also known as the Kola Bou ritual, during which nine plants representing different forms of the goddess are ceremonially bathed and worshipped.

Maha Ashtami will be marked by Sandhi Puja, an important ritual performed at the transition between Ashtami and Navami. Maha Navami will feature the concluding major worship ceremonies and traditional bhog offerings.

As the festival draws closer, mandaps in Dhaka and other parts of the country are taking shape with elaborate decorations, colourful lights and artistic themes. Devotees and visitors are expected to gather throughout the celebrations to offer prayers, receive prasad and participate in religious and cultural events.

Beyond its religious importance, Durga Puja is an integral part of Bangladesh’s cultural heritage. The festival brings together members of the Hindu community and people of other faiths, reflecting the country’s tradition of communal harmony and peaceful coexistence.

Mobile App, Power Backup Measures for Security

To strengthen security and monitoring during the festival, authorities will use a mobile application previously deployed by the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC).

According to Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, the application will help disseminate information quickly in the event of an untoward incident and enable authorities to respond promptly to maintain a peaceful atmosphere.

The Home Ministry has also instructed the relevant authorities to ensure uninterrupted electricity supplies at Puja venues.

Mandap organisers have been directed to keep generators ready for use around the clock and maintain rechargeable lights as backup arrangements in case of power outages or generator failures.

With preparations gathering pace, organisers and authorities are working to ensure that Durga Puja is celebrated peacefully and securely across Bangladesh, allowing devotees to observe the festival with religious fervour and cultural enthusiasm.