Dhaka:Maha Nabami of the Sharadiya Durga Puja was celebrated across the country with religious fervor and gaiety as devotees prepare for Bijaya Dashami tomorrow. During Bijaya Dashami, devotees will bid farewell to Goddess Durga by taking the idols in processions to designated rivers, ponds, and other water bodies for immersion, a ritual known as 'Bisarjan or Niranjan'.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Maha Nabami was marked by various rituals including NabamiBihit puja, Boli (sacrificing of animals or vegetables such as pumpkin, sugarcane, and banana), offerings of 'bhog and pushpanjali, home joggo, and the distribution of Charanamrito and 'Maha Prashad'. Devotees also offered 'Anjali' after fasting as part of the major concluding worship rituals for the day.
The six-day festival began with the ceremonial invocation of Goddess Durga on Maha Shashthi last Friday. Puja mandaps across the country have been bustling with devotees and visitors, enhanced by vibrant decorations, traditional 'dhak' beats, and the sounds of 'kashor and ghonta', 'conch-shell blasts, and 'ululation'.
This year, 33,851 puja mandaps have been set up nationwide, including 258 in the capital, as reported by the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad. The number of mandaps has increased by nearly 1,500 compared to the previous year. In Dhaka, the Gulshan-Banani Puja Foundation is hosting one of the most elaborate celebrations at Kamal Ataturk Park in Banani, while makeshift pandals at Kalabagan ground and Khamarbari have become major attractions. Many celebrations are also taking place in the old parts of the city, such as Tantibazar and Shakharibazar, with significant attendance at Ramna Kali Mandir, Siddheshwari Kali Mandir, Dhaka University's Jagannath Hall, and Uttara Sarbajanin Mandir.