Preparations for Durga Puja in full swing
Although the festival of Durga Puja is still a week away, preparations for making the five-day festival successful are going on in full swing across the country.
The annual festival “Sharodiya Durga Utsab”, the largest festival of Bangalee Hindu community, will start through Sashthi Puja on October 20 and end with the immersion of the goddess' idols on Bijoya Dashami on October 24.
Among various preparations, pandals are being constructed along with making varied clay models of the Goddess Durga.
Monindra Kumar Nath, the general secretary of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, said erecting of Protimas (idols) in most of the pandals have been completed and rest of the works like colouring the idols, decoration of the pandals are on the final stage.
Worship of the goddess will be held at around 27,800 pandals this year, while the number was 27, 362 last year in the country, he said.
The preparation for the festival is going on almost peacefully across the country, he added.
During recent visits, The Daily Star found that the puja pandals are also being decorated while sculptors are passing busy time with pre-paint tasks as well colouring the idols in the capital.
The main puja pandals in the capital are at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Jagannath Hall of Dhaka University, Ramakrishna Mission, Ramna Kali Mondir, Tanti Bazar and Shankhari Bazar.
Sukumer Pal, the sculptor of the idols at Dhakeshwari Temple, said he has completed almost all tasks except colouring the idols.
“I have already completed making of idols at four pandals in Manikganj, Kishoreganj and Rajbari,” he said adding that he was also involved in making idols at two other puja pandals.
Nirmal Chatterjee, general secretary of Mohanagar Sarbojanin Puja Committee, said the puja will be held at 202 pandals in the capital this year, while the number was 199 last year.
Leaders of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and Mohanagar Sarbojanin Puja Committee met with Inspector General of Police (IGP) Hassan Mahmood Khandker on Thursday, he said adding that the IGP has assured of providing all-out security during the festival.
“Puja Udjapan Parishad and Puja Committee will jointly set up a monitoring cell at Dhakeswari National Temple to keep link with the puja pandals and law enforcement agencies during the festival to ensure security,” Nirmal Chatterjee said.
Meanwhile, at a programme at Dhakeshwari Temple, IGP Hassan Mahmood yesterday said he was directed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to take necessary measures so that the festival could be held in a peaceful and secured atmosphere.
Superintendents of police will hold meeting with the country's local Hindu community leaders within two days to make a plan for ensuring security, he said.
“I hope, we will be able to celebrate the festival peacefully like the previous years,” he added.
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