Dhaka:Across the country, Maha Nabami of the Sharadiya Durga Puja is being marked with religious fervor and gaiety. Rituals including Nabami Bihit puja, animal or vegetable sacrifices like pumpkin, sugarcane, and banana, as well as the offering of 'bhog and pushpanjali, home joggo, and the distribution of Charanamrito and Maha Prashad were conducted at various mandaps this morning.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, devotees have been offering 'anjali' after fasting, as the day features major concluding worship rituals. On Monday, Maha Ashtami was celebrated with 'Sandhi and Kumari Puja' nationwide.
Since last Friday, when the six-day festival commenced with the ceremonial invocation of Goddess Durga on Maha Shashthi, puja mandaps have been bustling with devotees and visitors. The festive atmosphere is enhanced by vibrant decorations, traditional 'dhak' beats, the ringing of 'kashor and ghonta', conch-shell blasts, and 'ululation'.
Throughout the country, devotees are visiting puja pandals to offer prayers and partake in the festivities. This year, 33,851 puja mandaps have been established, including 258 in the capital, reflecting an increase of nearly 1,500 from last year, as reported by the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad.
In the capital, the Gulshan-Banani Puja Foundation is hosting an elaborate celebration at Kamal Ataturk Park in Banani. Makeshift pandals at Kalabagan ground and Khamarbari are also drawing large crowds with their impressive structures and lighting displays.
Tomorrow, Bijaya Dashami will be observed as devotees bid farewell to Goddess Durga, taking the idols in processions to designated water bodies for immersion, a ritual known as 'Bisarjan or Niranjan'. In the capital, significant celebrations are taking place in areas like Tantibazar and Shakharibazar, with large numbers of visitors frequenting Ramna Kali Mandir, Siddheshwari Kali Mandir, Dhaka University's Jagannath Hall, and Uttara Sarbajanin Mandir.