Greatest religious festival of the Hindu community, the Sharadiya Durga Puja begins today (Wednesday) with much enthusiasm.
This year Durga puja is going to celebrate in around 27,000 mandaps across the country with pomp and grandeur from October 13 to October 17. 191 pandals have been erected in the capital Dhaka on the eve of the celebration.
Today is Moha Shashti. The arrival of Durga is traditionally viewed as the coming of the daughter along with her children (Saraswati, Laxmi, Kartick and Ganesh) to the parents home.
Durga Puja is celebrated for five days from 6th to 10th day of the waning moon in the month of Ashwin the 6th month of the Bangla calendar (Autumn season).
This year Goddess Durga arrives on palanquin and will depart on Elephant. Goddess Durga’s arrival on palanquin signifies an outbreak of epidemic while her departure on elephant signifies good harvest.
Durga Puja is also called Akalbodhan (untimely awakening of Durga), Sharadiya Puja (autumnal worship), Sharodotsab (festival of autumn), Baro Puja (grand puja), Maayer Puja (worship of the mother).
According to Hindu mythology, the worship of Goddess Durga in the month of Ashwin is called ‘Akalbodhan’; an uncustomary time for commencement of the worship.
It is so called since the period of this worship differs from the conventional period (during the season of spring ‘Basanta kal’).
“Ramayana’ says; when Rama was engaged in the fierce battle with Ravana, he wanted to secure the blessings of victory from Goddess Durga.
He held the puja to evoke the goddess during autumn to his dire plight, thereby worshiping Durga untimely (in Akal). Hence this puja is called Akalbodhon.
It was customary to worship Durga with 100 neel kamals (blue lotuses). Rama could gather only 99 of them; he offered one of his eyes as a substitute of the 100th lotus.
Pleased with his devotion Durga blessed him. The battle started on Shaptami and Ravana was killed at the Shandhikshan (in between) Ashtami and Navami; he was cremated on Dashami.
Therefore the four days of the puja that the Hindu community celebrates ends in the triumph of the good over evil.
Members of the Hindu community celebrate the puja with new clothes, dresses and gifts. Families go out to see the ‘pandals and venerate the goddess.
Although it is a Hindu festival, religion takes a backseat on the five days. Durga Puja in Bengal is a carnival, where people from all backgrounds, regardless of their religious beliefs, participate and enjoy themselves.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday felicitated members of the Hindu community on the occasion of Sharadiya Durga Puja.
In her message, the PM said Durga Puja is being celebrated with a call of establishing world peace and welfare of the humanity.
The main feature of Durga Utsob is not only for annihilation of evil forces and worshipping truth and beauty it is also related with non-communal spirit for thousand year of Bengali, she added.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is an abode of all religion irrespective of caste and creed. Our constitution ensures rights of all people, the Prime Minister said.
“I believe, we shall be able to build `Sonar Bangla’ as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman through collective efforts of people belonging to all religions,” she added.
Sheikh Hasina wished peace, welfare and prosperity of all citizens of the country especially members of the Hindu community on the occasion.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sanctioned Taka 1.5 crore from the PM’s fund to celebrate the Puja.
