In Bangladesh, Durga Puja is celebrated every year with devotion, religious fervour and enthusiasm. This year, Durga Puja will be celebrated from 16th to 21st October. With only a few weeks left for the festival, preparations are in full swing across Bangladesh.
Preparations for Durga Puja are also clearly visible at Dhakeshwari Temple, one of the prominent religious sites of the Hindu community in Bangladesh. A meeting of leaders from around 70 district and metropolitan committees of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad was held at the temple premises today. The meeting reviewed preparations for Durga Puja across the country, as well as the prevailing communal situation.
The meeting was chaired by Bashudeb Dhar, President of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad. Central leaders of the organisation, along with representatives of various district and metropolitan committees, took part in the meeting and discussed different aspects related to the preparations for the festival.
Meanwhile, other preparations for Durga Puja have also gained momentum at the temple premises. Cleaning, painting and decoration work is underway, with people associated with the organisation actively engaged in preparations for the festival.
People are also engaged in making arrangements for the Puja. Members of the organising committees were seen collecting contributions from devotees and others at the temple premises to support the arrangements for the festival.
Durga Puja is not only a religious festival but also a major cultural celebration. A large number of women and girls were seen rehearsing cultural programmes to be presented during the Puja at the Dhakeshwari Temple premises. One of the artists said that preparations for such performances take at least 15 days.
The preparations for the festival are also visible at the shops in and around the temple premises. A large number of people were seen purchasing various items required for the Puja.
Apart from Dhakeshwari Temple, preparations for Durga Puja are also in full swing at other temples in Dhaka. At Shri Shri Ramna Kali Temple, artisans are busy making idols of various deities for the upcoming Durga Puja.
Idol-making is a long and painstaking process. The basic framework is first prepared using paddy straw and wood. The artisans then carefully shape the idols with clay. The process requires considerable skill, precision and craftsmanship.
Along with Goddess Durga, idols of Lord Ganesha, Goddess Saraswati and Lord Shiva, among others, are also prepared for the Puja. Idols of animals and birds representing the mounts of the deities are also crafted with great skill and attention to detail.
Once the basic structure and shape of the idols are completed, the artisans work on the finer details. This is followed by painting and final decoration. Artisans are now busy giving the idols their final touches ahead of the festival.
AAs Durga Puja draws closer, preparations at temples across Bangladesh are gathering further momentum. From cleaning and decoration to idol-making, cultural rehearsals and the purchase of Puja items, preparations for Durga Puja are progressing with enthusiasm across Bangladesh.
