27,000 Durga Puja mandaps getting final touches
An artisan adds decorations to an idol of the Goddess Durga ahead of the Hindu community's biggest religious festival, Durga Puja, to be celebrated on October 2-6. The photo was taken from Dhakeswari Temple in the city yesterday.
Over 27,000 mandaps (pavilion) are being erected across the country to celebrate the Durga Puja, the largest festival for Hindu Bangalees, on October 2-6. “Construction of the most of the Puja mandaps across the country is now at the final stage to hold the annual Hindu festival, the worship of the goddess, Durga”, said Nirmal Chatterjee, organising secretary of Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad. Mohanagar Sarbojaneen Puja Committee yesterday held a meeting at Dhakeswari National Temple to discuss the preparation of the city's Puja mandaps. Representatives of different Puja committees told the meeting of their preparation and problems. Milan Kanti Datta, vice-president of Puja Udjapon Parishad, and Tapash Pal, ex-general secretary of the Mohanagar committee, among others, spoke while Ramen Mandol, organising secretary of the Mohanagar committee, moderated the meeting. “The number of Puja mandaps in the capital has been increased to 196 this year from 191 last year”, said Babul Debnath, general secretary of the Mohanagar committee. Babul said the committee leaders took part in an inter-ministerial meeting on September 18 and expressed concern over the security threat to four Puja mandaps. "The authority concerned assured us of full-proof security for the four Puja Mandaps -- two in Sutrapur and one each in Mirpur and Azimpur -- as well as the other Puja mandaps in the city”. He also said the Mohanagar committee would set up a monitoring cell at Dhakeswari National Temple to keep tabs on the Puja mandaps during the festival. “With cooperation of the administration, the cell will try to solve the instant problems”, he added. Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad will also set similar cell there to monitor the Puja mandaps across the country. The Mohanagar committee gave some directives to the city's Puja committees, including keeping sound system switched off during Azan and prayers and run the system not after 10:00pm. It also directed to form volunteer team to ensure security of the visitors. Expressing satisfaction over the preparation, Biresh Chandra Saha, president of Mohanagar Committee, said they have received no report of vandalism of any idol in the city as happened in the previous years. Our Mymensingh Correspondent reports: A total of 641 Puja mandaps will be set up in 12 upazilas of the district this year. Mymensingh Zila Puja Udjapon Parishad sources said the Durga Puja will be held at Shivbari Temple in the town by female devotees for the second time. Marking the occasion, different Puja celebration committees have sketched programmes like blood donation drive, Arati competition, Prasad distribution, clothes distribution among the poor, and cultural events, said Shankar Saha, organising secretary of the parishad. Meanwhile, the officials of the district and police administration, members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Mymensingh municipal authority, and representatives of the district Puja celebration committee have exchanged views with the people of Hindu community. The local administration has taken tight security measures to ensure the celebration passes off peacefully, said Puja committee sources.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments