Like elsewhere in the country, the Sharadiya Durgotsab has started in Chitalmari upazila of Bagerhat district with the Sasthi puja on Monday (October 11).
Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the followers of Sanatan (Hindu) religion began with the worship of Goddess Durga in Beltala area of the upazila on the day.
The mandaps (temples) have been echoing with uludhwani (veneration call), conch shells, and traditional drums and chandipath (hymn) since Monday morning.
This year the goddess arrived amid her devotees on horseback. This five-daylong festival will end on Friday (October 15) with the immersion of idols on Vijaya Dashami.
On the occasion of the Saradiya Durgotsab, Sheikh Helal Uddin, MP of Bagerhat-1 constituency, greeted the members of the Hindu community living in Chitalmari upazila.
The upazila administration and law enforcement agencies are on high alert on the occasion of the Durga Puja. They have already identified the common, important and more important Mandaps and taken security measures accordingly.
Durga Puja is being held in total 153 mandaps in the upazila this year. There will be worship of Goddess Durga in 143 mandaps while Basanti Puja will be performed in the remaining ten. Out of these 143 mandaps, 68 mandaps are marked common, 44 important and 31 have been marked as more important ones.
There has been set a three-tier security zone around the Puja mandaps. Twenty five teams consisting of both uniformed and white-clad police and Ansar members will work to maintain the security.
There are also detectives in special temples that are marked as most important ones. All these information was stated by the officials of the upazila administration and law and order agencies on Monday.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Chitalmari Police Station AHM Kamruzzaman Khan said the bond of harmony is very strong in the upazila. However, we are always on high alert to prevent any kind of unpleasant incident.
Meanwhile, Chitalmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Liton Ali said, “The overall situation of every temple and mandap in the upazila is on our fingertips. The Durgotsab will be celebrated through joy and excitement maintaining social distance.”
