Durga Puja
Hindu community prepares for Bijoya Dashami Wednesday
The five-day Durga Puja, the largest festival of the Hindu community, comes to an end Wednesday with the solemn immersion of the Goddess Durga across the country.
And after the hit that Bangladesh’s secular credentials, or its reputation for communal harmony, took during the same festival last year - with temples and Puja mandaps attacked in multiple districts, all triggered by a deliberate act of provocation in Cumilla - it is safe to say the entire country will feel relieved that this year’s Durga Puja will have passed without much incident. Fingers crossed of course, for the last 24 hours.
Devotees will throng Puja mandaps to celebrate Bijoya Dashami, the last day of the festival, recite the mantras, offer flowers to the goddess Durga (pushpanjali) and pray for her blessings.
The mandaps across the country have been decorated with beautiful idols, showcasing the goddess in all her glory.
Bijoya Dashami is the special ceremony of reaffirming peace and good relations among people.
On this day, families visit each other to share sweetmeats. Married Hindu women put vermilion on each other's foreheads on the occasion.
Read: No security lapses for Durga Puja: Rab DG
In Bangladesh this year, the religious festival is being celebrated at some 32,168 puja mandaps spread throughout the country, including 241 in capital Dhaka.
In the capital, thousands of people are set to throng the Buriganga tomorrow to observe the final phase of the festival -- the immersion of the goddess Durga signifying her return to Kailash.
Devotees in their tearful eyes will bid farewell to the mother deity and her children – Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh – through the immersion of their idols in the water wishing Durga’s return next year.
Meanwhile, there will be strict security measures in place so that Durga Puja ends peacefully.
President Abdul Hamid has issued a message greeting the members of the country's Hindu community on the occasion.
In his message, President Hamid said the main religious festival of the Bengali Hindu community is Durga Puja. The country’s Hindu community has been celebrating the puja amid huge enthusiasm and festivity with different rituals since ancient times.
Also read: Durga puja: A festival that unites Bangladesh!
Durga Puja is not just a religious festival, but also a social one, he added.
“Communal harmony is the eternal tradition of Bengalis. This tradition must be carried forward in our overall progress together,” he urged all.
The five-day festival started on October 1 with the incarnation (Bodhon) of the Goddess Durga marking Sashthi.
Durga Puja, the annual Hindu festival also known as Sharadaya (autumnal) Durgotsob, is the worship of "Shakti" [divine force] embodied in goddess Durga.
It symbolises the battle between good and evil where the dark forces eventually succumb to the divine.
Close to 8 percent of Bangladesh’s more than 160 million people are Hindu.
Don't only look at the crime, look at punishment too: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday asked all not to magnify any incident that goes against any religion, rather look at the punitive measures that have been taken by the government.
“Do not magnify any incident that takes place in any area (of the country), rather I will request you to look at the punitive measures of the government against that incident,” she said.
The Prime Minister said this while speaking at a greetings exchange programme with the Hindu religious people of the country on the occasion of Durga Puja.
The programme was held at the premises of Dhakeshwari National Temple while the Prime Minister joined the programme virtually from her official residence--Ganabhaban.
Sheikh Hasina also sought cooperation from all including the Hindus to maintain communal harmony in the country.
“I will seek your cooperation in this regard and hope that you will cooperate,” she said.
Read: Be vocal against anti-state propaganda: PM
She said that the government always tries to uphold the non-communal spirit or secular character of the country and step forward towards prosperity maintaining that.
The Prime Minister again categorically warned that no one will be allowed to undermine anyone’s religious sentiment.
“No one will be allowed to say anything (derogatory) hitting others’ religious sentiment. This is applicable for any religion,” she said.
She said that religion is about one’s belief. “It is one’s belief on Allah or the Creator, we have to go with that belief.”
In this connection, she said that Islam is a very open and generous religion, and there are directives in Islam to show respect to all other religions.
She mentioned about Surah Kafirun where it is stated that every person will perform their respective religious rituals and people from all religions will enjoy equal rights. “And we believe that from our heart.”
Read: Convey misrule, brutality under BNP regimes: PM tells expat Bangladeshis
No Durga Puja festivities for families of Panchagarh boat capsize victims
Brothers Hemant Roy and Vasudev Roy live in Arazi Shikarpur Battali village under Panchagarh’s Boda Upazila. Seven members of their family were on a boat on September 25 – going to the other side of the Karatoya river to perform Mahalaya rituals. Five of them were among the victims who drowned in the Karatoya when the boat sank.
“I have lost everything… my wife, my brother’s wife, three grandchildren. I am numb. We’re not in a state to celebrate Durga Puja,” a distraught Hemant Roy said.
Not only Hemant and Vasudev, grief has gripped several other families in Boda, Debiganj, Atwari and Sadar upazilas of the district who have lost their near and dear ones in the boat capsize that claimed 69 lives.
The tragedy occurred on the day of Mahalaya – the auspicious occasion heralding the arrival of Goddess Durga – on September 25, when an overloaded boat carrying around 80 people, mostly Hindu devotees, sank in the middle of Karatoya river while heading towards Badheshwar Temple.
So far, 69 bodies have been recovered while three still remain missing.
Read: Karatoya boat tragedy: Death toll rises to 69
This is the worst waterway accident Bangladesh witnessed after the devastating fire on a Barguna-bound launch, off the coast of Jhalakathi, on December 24 last year, in which 50 lives were lost.
The Hindu community in Panchagarh are observing Durga Puja without the usual festivities, mourning and honouring those who died in the boat capsize.
Panchagarh district units of Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad and Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad took the decision on Friday, said Puja Udjapan Parishad’s district president Jibodhan Bamman and general secretary Bipen Chandra Roy.
No security lapses for Durga Puja: Rab DG
Adequate arrangements have been made to ensure security for the celebration of Durga Puja without any trouble, said newly-appointed Director General of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) M Khurshid Hossain on Monday.
“We are doing cyber monitoring. Intelligence surveillance has become greater than any time before,” he said after inspecting the security measures of the Puja Mandap at Banani in Dhaka.
He said there was no specific threat from any quarters despite reports that 50 to 60 young men have remained missing while intelligence officials suspect that they have joined radical groups.
Read: Keep vigil against vandalism during Durga Puja: Obaidul Quader asks AL members
“No matter how smart they are, they will not succeed,” he said adding that security officials are monitoring the activities of the missing young men who left their homes and remained traceless.
“At the end of the puja, we wish to see some good results. We are working on it,” he said.
Rab has reinforced intelligence surveillance across the country since September 25 to ensure overall security during Durga Puja.
Read Palbari Puja Mandap in Sherpur: Sign of communal harmony for over a century
Rab members have been deployed to strengthen security from October 1 to October 6.
Apart from carrying out sweeping operations at various important places including Puja mandaps, Rab’s bomb disposal unit is working round the clock for any situation, said the DG.
This year, the Durga Puja began on Saturday, with the incarnation (bodhon) of the Goddess in temples across the country.
Read With scars from 2021, Cumilla sees tighter security for Durga Puja
The five-day Durga Puja festival will culminate with the immersion of idols on October 5.
Close to 8 percent of Bangladesh’s more than 160 million people are Hindu.
Palbari Puja Mandap in Sherpur: Sign of communal harmony for over a century
For the last 127 years, Durga Puja is being celebrated at Sherpur’s Palbari Puja Mandap with much fanfare. Palbari is a testament to the fact that communal harmony and freedom of religion are deeply ingrained in the Bangladeshi psyche.
Durga Puja at Palbari Mandap is a family event held at the house of late educationist Nagendra Chandra Pal in Khalbhanga area under Sherpur’s Nalitabari upazila. Besides being the oldest puja mandap of Sherpur district, it is also known as the second oldest mandap of the country.
According to Palbari Puja Committee Chairman Gourango Chandra Pal, Durga Puja celebration at Palbari mandap started in 1885 by Mangal Ram Sarkar, the ancestor of Pal family. After Mangal’s death, his son Nagendra continued arranging the puja for half a century. Nagendra is no more, but the puja is still being arranged thanks to the relentless efforts of his four sons, who are now in charge.
Read: With scars from 2021, Cumilla sees tighter security for Durga Puja
Over the years, Durga Puja at Palbari has become an integral part of the lives of the local Hindu community. From a mere family tradition, it has developed into a popular festival. The local Hindu devotees view the Palbari puja as a junction where people from all faiths mingle to find happiness.
The Palbari puja mandap has a strong legacy. During the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971, when the Pakistani military were killing Hindus in droves, the Pal family continued celebrating Durga Puja defying all danger. This is a proof of the power that culture, tradition and religion possess.
Bishwajit Pal, Nagendra’s son, said that the century-old Palbari puja mandap has been able to propagate harmony among the local people.
Read: Bagerhat’s Durga Puja attraction: 151 idols in one mandap
“We don’t discriminate against anyone based on his religious identity. The Palbari Puja Mandap is open for all. Arti and cultural programmes at the mandap every evening have become a source of entertainment for the local people,” he said.
“We have been arranging the puja for four generations. Now the time has come for our next generation to take over. Through this puja, we just want to share happiness and regard best wishes for people,” Bishwajit said.
Biplab Dey Ketu, a local journalist, said he has never missed the Palbari Puja since his childhood.
Read Keep vigil against vandalism during Durga Puja: Obaidul Quader asks AL members
“People from the area wait every year for this festival to commence. Our hearts become content each time we visit the place,” he said.
This year, Durga Puja is being celebrated in 144 mandaps in Sherpur district.
To avert any untoward incident, security has been beefed up at the festival sites. While all the mandaps have been brought under CCTV surveillance, a large number of police and Ansar personnel have also been deployed.
Read 5 Durga Puja Bhog Recipes to try this festive season
Besides non-stop patrolling by the law enforcement agencies, volunteers from the Puja Udjapon Parishad are also working tirelessly to ensure security in Sherpur’s Palbari Puja Mandap, organisers say.
5 Durga Puja Bhog Recipes to try this festive season
Durga puja is the biggest religious festival of the Bengali Hindu community. In Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava, worshippers celebrate the victory of Goddess Durga in the battle over evil-powered Mahishasura. Bhog has always been a major part of Durga puja festival. The bhog represents a one-pot dish made with seasonal produce. Here are the top 5 Bhog recipes for Durga Puja. You can try these easy-to-prepare recipes at home to make your Durga Puja festival more special and enjoyable.
5 Easy Bhog Recipes for Durga Puja
Bhoger khichuri
Bhoger khichuri is an exemplary and inimitable moong dal khichdi that is prepared in puja and offered to the goddesses as Prasad.
Ingredients:
1 cup chal, 1 cup moong dal, 2 potatoes, 10 large Cauliflower florets, 2 Tomatoes, ½ cup green Peas, 3 green Chillies, 1/3 cup grated Coconut, 2 tablespoons Cashew nuts, 2 tablespoons Raisins, 1 ½ teaspoon Garam Masala powder, 1 tablespoon Ghee, 1 tablespoon Sugar, ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder, Salt to taste, Mustard oil for cooking, 7-8 cups of hot Water
For the Khichuri masala paste
3-inch Ginger, 1 green Chilli, ¾ tablespoon Cumin seeds, 1-inch Cinnamon stick, 2 Cardamoms, 3 tablespoons Water, 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon Chilli powder
Instructions:
First, soak the fried dal for an hour. Then wash dal and chaal and strain the excess water. Put oil and cashew nuts into the pan and fry them till golden. Now add other ingredients except tomato chunks, masala paste, chal, and soaked moong dal. Then add the rest of the items with 4 cups of hot water and cook it on low flame for another 10 minutes. Switch off the flame and serve.
Read Yummy sweets for Durga Puja: Traditional Bengali desserts to try in this great religious festival
Bhoger Labra
It is an excellent mixed vegetable curry that is prepared in puja festivals and offered to the Goddesses as Prasad.
Ingredients:
2 Potatoes, 1 large sweet Potato, 3 Taro roots,300 grams Pumpkin, 1 large Radish,2 Medium Carrots, 1 unripe Banana, 1 large Ridge Gourd, 10 large florets of Cauliflower, 1 small Cabbage, 1½ cup Spinach, 100 grams broad Beans, 3-4 green Chillies, c¾ up Coconut, grated or paste
For tempering
½ tablespoon Panch Phoran, 2-3 Bay leaves, 3 dry red Chillies
For masala paste
1½ tablespoons Ginger paste, 3 teaspoons Turmeric powder, 2-3 teaspoons red Chilli powder, 1½ teaspoons Cumin powder, 3 tablespoons Water
Instructions:
First, peel the vegetables, wash them, and cut them into pieces. Now prepare the masala paste. Then heat ¼ cup mustard oil into the pan and add vegetable pieces and cook in medium flame for 5-6 minutes. Add other ingredients and cook on low flame for 10-15 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon bhaji masala, 1 tablespoon ghee into the pan, and the salt if required. Put the flame on high and cook it for a minute. Finally, labra are ready to serve.
Read Messages of Durga Puja Festival: What can we learn from Goddess Durga
Bhoger Rosogolla
Rosogolla is one of the most famous and fabulous desserts in Bengal. Durga puja's bogh is incomplete without Rosogolla.
Ingredients:
1 liter full-fat Milk, 1 Lemon, 1 teaspoon fine Rawa,2 Cardamoms, 2 cups Sugar, 4 cups of Water
Instructions:
First, prepare the chenna and hang the chenna for 30 minutes on a soft cloth. Then prepare the sugar syrup with water and sugar into a large pan. Make sure you add cardamoms and stir the syrup occasionally. Now, make the chenna balls. Cook the balls in sugar syrup by falling the balls into the boiling sugar syrup one by one immediately. Let them cook for 10 minutes and make cover the pan then. Let the Rasgullas cool down for an hour and serve.
Read Durga puja: A festival that unites Bangladesh!
Bhoger Mishti Doi
Mishti Doi is great when served with delicious Rasgulla. The Mishti Doi recipe is a perfect combination of yogurt and sugar in balanced proportions.
Ingredients
3 cup milk, 2 cup yogurt (curd), 6 tablespoon sugar, 1 green cardamom
Instructions:
First, take a saucepan and heat the milk. Keep the in a medium-high flame. Now add 2 tablespoons of sugar and keep stirring. You need to stir continuously so that the milk doesn't stick to the saucepan. Reduce the top half by heating and keep it aside.
Then to caramelize the sugar, take another pan and add 4 tablespoons of sugar and some water. When caramelizing is done, add in the warm milk and mix nicely. Next, turn off the oven and let it be at normal room temperature. Finally, add curd and mix well. Let the mixture be in a hot place for about 12 hours or more to freeze the misty doi.
Read Durga puja fervour grips Bangladesh
Bhoger Aloo posto
This is an easy-to-prepare vegetarian recipe. The ingredients are usually available in every Bengali kitchen.
Ingredients:
60g mustard oil, ¼ teaspoon nigella seeds, 2 pcs dried red chilies, 25g onions, 500g potatoes, 4 pcs green chilies, 12g salt, 8g sugar
Instructions:
First, peel the potatoes and the onions and cut them into pieces. Then put the onions slices into the heated mustard oil in a pan and fry them until to make they are pale in color. Drain the oil and set it aside for the onion.
Next, temper the oil with dried red chilies & nigella seeds. Add the potatoes. Fry for about 5 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Finally, garnish with a hint of mustard oil, green chilies, and fried onions. Then serve.
Read Bagerhat's Durga Puja attraction: 151 idols in one mandap
Bottom Line
The Durga Puja festival lasts ten days and the last five days are celebrated remarkably. From the day of Mahalaya, every Hindu starts feeling exuberant and cheerful with lots of nostalgia. Submission of Bhog to Goddess Durga can make the celebration joyous and memorable. So far, we have discussed 5 popular Durga Puja Bhog recipes. These preparations can make the festival more ecstatic.
With scars from 2021, Cumilla sees tighter security for Durga Puja
Authorities in Cumilla have placed tighter security measures this year to help celebrate the Durga Puja peacefully, following last year’s violence in the district that spilled over into other regions of the country, officials say.
Cumilla Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Kamrul Hasan said that they deployed Ansar members to guard the puja mandaps round the clock while additional members of police, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) have been patrolling the celebration sites.
He said they will prevent any attempt to destabilise the communal harmony in the district.
Read: Dinajpur murder protest: No justice, No Puja celebration!
He also said that this year, organisers set up a mandap in the Nanua Dighir Par area where violence broke out in October 2021 after a copy of the holy Quran was found there.
On October 13 last year, a Muslim man reportedly placed a copy of the Quran on the lap of an idol at the mandap in Cumilla while another suspect, also a Muslim man, called 999 helpline reporting the "desecration of the holy book", according to police statement.
Bagerhat’s Durga Puja attraction: 151 idols in one mandap
Durga Puja is a major festival in Muslim-majority Bangladesh where close to 8 percent of more than 160 million people are Hindu.
Despite communal tensions in recent years during the largest festival of the Hindu community, participation of people from different faiths has given the celebration a unique character.
This year, a major draw in Bagerhat district is the largest number of idols at a single puja mandap.
Also read: Disappointment in Bagerhat as Shikdar Bari avoids large-scale Durga Puja celebration for third year running
Organisers say a total of 151 idols of different deities have found their place, depicting the stories of Hindu epics – Ramayan and Mahabharat – at the Chulkathi Banikpara Puja Mandap in Bagerhat’s Sadar upazila.
The display is attracting not only Hindus but also people from other communities to the Banikpara Mandap to have glimpses of the idols.
Celebration of Durga Puja began at the Banikpara Mandap in 2001 in a small way. But in 2005, a massive celebration was held with 101 idols.
Durga Puja fervour grips Bangladesh
Durga puja, the largest religious festival of the Hindus, began on Saturday, with the incarnation (bodhon) of the Goddess in temples across the country.
The five-day festival will culminate with the immersion of idols on October 5.
Mahasaptami puja will be held on Sunday (October 2), while Mahashtami puja, Kumari puja and Sandhi puja are slated for Monday (October 3).
Mahanabami puja will be held on Tuesday (October 4) and Bijoya Dashami is on Wednesday (October 5).
Be it the minority Hindus or the majority Muslims, all use this opportunity to throng pandals, dance to the sounds of the dhak (a special percussion instrument) and indulge in delectable bhog during the festival.
The Mahalaya, the auspicious occasion heralding the advent of the Goddess Durga, was celebrated on September 25.
In Dhaka city, the main puja mandaps have been set up at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramkrishna Mission and Math, Kalabagan, Banani, Shakhari Bazar and Ramna Kali Mandir.
This year, Durga puja will be held at 32,168 mandaps across the country, including 241 in the capital.
Adequate security measures have been taken for smooth and peaceful celebrations of the festival, according to police.
Additional personnel of the police force Ansar, the Rapid Action Battalion and other law enforcement agencies have been roped in for deployment in puja mandaps to ensure full-proof security.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages, greeting the members of the country's Hindu community on this occasion.
In his message, President Hamid said the main religious festival of the Bengali Hindus is Durga Puja.
"The country’s Hindu community has been celebrating the puja amid huge enthusiasm and festivity with different rituals since ancient times. Durga puja is not only a religious festival, but also a social one.
“Communal harmony is the eternal tradition of the Bengalis. This tradition must be carried forward in our overall progress together,” the President said.
In her message, PM Hasina said that Durga puja is not only a festival of the Hindu community, "it is now a universal festival".
"Destruction of evil forces and worship of truth and beauty are the main motives of Sharadiya Durgotsob. On the occasion of Durga puja, I wish peace, welfare and prosperity to all citizens, including the Hindus,” she said.
Durga Puja begins Saturday
Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, is set to begin on Saturday with the incarnation (Bodhon) of goddess Durga at temples across the country, marking Sashthi.
The five-day puja will come to an end with the immersion of idols of goddess Durga in rivers and other water bodies on October 5.
All the preparations have been taken for celebrating the religious festival smoothly with tight security at every puja mandap in the country.
Read: Keep vigil against vandalism during Durga Puja: Obaidul Quader asks AL members
The Maha Saptami puja will be held on Sunday while Maha Ashtami, Kumari Puja and Sandhi Puja on Monday, Maha Nabami puja on Tuesday and Bijoya Dashami will be held on Wednesday.
Recitation of the verses from the Holy Chandi and blowing of conch shells (Shankha) and beating of drums will be heard in temples and pandals in the city and elsewhere throughout the day.
The Mahalaya, the auspicious occasion heralding the advent of goddess Durga, was celebrated on September 25 last.
In Dhaka city, the main puja mandaps have been set up at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramkrishna Mission and Math, Kalabagan, Banani, Shakhari Bazar and Ramna Kali Mandir.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam on Thursday said police are ready to thwart any possible militant attack during the Durga Puja celebration.
Besides, the Puja Mandaps, where there are no CCTV cameras, will be kept under surveillance by police and Ansar members for 24 hours.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages greeting the members of the country's Hindu community on this occasion.
In his message, President Hamid said the main religious festival of the Bengali Hindu community is Durga Puja. The country’s Hindu community has been celebrating the puja amid huge enthusiasm and festivity with different rituals since ancient times.
Durga Puja is not only a religious festival, but also a social one, he added.
“Communal harmony is the eternal tradition of Bengalis. This tradition must be carried forward in our overall progress together,” he urged all.
Read: Benazir directs police to ensure impenetrable security during Durga Puja
In her message, PM Hasina said Durga Puja is not only a festival of the Hindu community, it is now a universal festival. Destruction of evil forces and worship of truth and beauty are the main motives of Sharadiya Durgotsob.
“On the occasion of Durga Puja, I wish peace, welfare and prosperity to all citizens including the Hindus,” she said.
Durga Puja will be held at 32,168 mandaps (pandals) across the country, including 241 in the capital city, this year.