Devotees from the Hindu community thronged various puja mandaps in the port city on Thursday, marking the first day (Mahasaptami) of Durga Puja celebrations and creating a festive atmosphere throughout the city.
People from all age-groups-children, teenagers, and senior citizens-were crowding at the puja venues wearing new and colourful clothes.
An evening tour to some of the major puja venues, including the Jatra Mohan Sen Hall, which still stands in Chattogram bearing witness to a century of the port city’s history, revealed a vibrant presence of Hindu devotees.
Crowds were also seen in Ramakrishna Mission, Kaibalyadham, Hazarigali, Gosail Danga, Kusumkumari High School and Cheragi Pahar.
‘Durga Puja is the worship of nature, aimed at upholding truth and beauty. While it may outwardly appear to cater to a specific community, its deeper significance is a universal celebration for the well-being of all,’ Kanu Kumar Das, Assistant Professor at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), tol
d UNB.
“May this great puja bring prosperity, harmony, and friendship to all and the motherland… this is the prayer of puja I offer from my heart,” said the architect and city planner who is celebrating this festival together with his friends and family members.
General Secretary of Chattogram Metropolitan Puja Celebration Parishad Hillol Sen told reporters that Anjali was offered at the puja mandaps at noon and there was quite a crowd of devotees then.
“Volunteers are deployed at each venue for security. Besides, each mandap is covered by CC cameras. The crowd of visitors has increased since the evening,” he said.
Earlier in the afternoon, Disaster Management and Relief Adviser Farooq-e-Azam visited the Puja mandap at Kusumkumari High School in the city. Senior government officials were present.
Meanwhile, Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) Commissioner Haseeb Aziz visited some puja mandaps in the city on Thursday morning to see the overall security of Durga Puja.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of
City Police (ADC-Media) Kazi Md Tarek Aziz said about 2,000 policemen were working in the city to ensure security during the Durga Puja.
In Chattogram, Durga Puja is being celebrated in 2,458 locations. Among them, there are 293 puja mandaps in the city and 2,165 in 15 upazilas of the district.
Earlier, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus extended greetings to all members of the Hindu community in the country and said Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony.
“Durga Puja is not only a festival of the Hindu community… it has now become a festival for all. The destruction of evil forces and the worship of truth and beauty are the main features of the festival,” he said in a message on the occasion of Durga Puja, the main religious festival of the Hindu community.
Prof Yunus wished peace, wellbeing and prosperity of all the citizens of Bangladesh.
The government said that law enforcement agencies are sincerely focusing on the security concerns shared by the Hindu community.
Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Se
cretary Apurba Jahangir said that all Puja mandaps across the country are being monitored through IP cameras with adequate patrolling by the police, Rab, and intelligence agencies.
The Durga Puja holiday will now last four days, starting from Thursday.
CHT Affairs Adviser Supradip Chakma has said Durga Puja is a festival for all, and Durga Puja will defeat the evil forces and transform them into good ones.
He made the remarks while visiting Sri Sri Raksha Kali Temple adjacent to Tabalchari Launch Ghat in Rangamati Sadar on Thursday.
Adviser Supradip Chakma, wishing everyone peace, harmony and prosperity, said the law and order enforcement agencies will ensure overall security during the celebration of Puja festival.
Source: United News of Bangladesh