Bangladesh News

The five-day Durga Puja, the greatest religious festival of the Hindus, ended yesterday with the immersion of Durga idols all over the country.

Bijoya Dashami, the special ceremony to reaffirm peace and good relations among people, was also celebrated afterwards.

Hundreds joined a procession from Palashi in the capital and paraded the city through the National Press Club, Gulistan, and English Road with idols of Durga and her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh before the immersion.

“At least 15 Durga idols were brought at Waiz Ghat for immersion in the Buriganga after parading through the city at 5:20pm,” Jayanta Sen Dipu, president of Mohanagar Sarbojonin Puja Committee, said yesterday.

The immersion ritual will continue up to Sehri with intervals for Iftar and Tarabih prayers, he said, adding that Durga idols from some of the city’s 156 puja mandaps will be immersed in the river Turag.

The puja committee president thanked the members of law enforcement agencies for patrolling tirelessly during the Durga Puja celebrations.

Durga Puja is the worship of ’shakti’ or divine power symbolised by devi (goddess) Durga. The worship is a tribute to the fight between good and evil with the dark force’s eventual submission to the Divine.

Mahalaya, starting a week before the pujas, is followed by a series of unique rituals on the days of Mahasashthi, Mahasaptami, Mahashtami, Mahanabami, and Bijoya Dashami that marks the end of Durga Puja.

In the capital, programmes including voluntary blood donation were held on the puja mandap premises during the five-day puja celebrations.

Fairs were also held at places adjoining the puja mandaps.