Astami Snan begins
The two-day annual Astami Snan, one of the largest religious festivals of the Hindu community, began here yesterday in the river Brahmaputra at Langalbandh with due respect and solemnity.
The sleepy village Langalbandh under Bandar upazila turned into a pilgrimage as tens of thousands of Hindu devotees both male, female and children from across the country, and neighbouring India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, dipped into the old Brahmaputra river around 10:30am.
They arrived at the spot by buses, private cars and trucks along Dhaka-Chittagong highway and by boat and trawler along the Meghna and Brahmaputra.
Mahatrha Langal Bandh Snan Utsab committee set up 20 reception camps to receive the pilgrims for overnight stay rest and leisure.
The rituals of Astami Snan started from 8:19am and will continue without any break until 9:11am on Saturday at 13 places -- Lalita Sadhu Ghat, Annapurna Ghat, Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi Ghat, Joy Kali Ghat, Premtoli Ghat and Rakkha Kali Ghat.
According to Hindu belief, Parsuram, a saint, killed his mother Omugha Devi upon order of his father Jamadagni with an axe. But it clung to his hand as a mark of sin.
At the order of divinity, he bathed at the slope of the Himalayan water fall on this day of lunar month. The axe dropped from his hand and he was freed from the sin.
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