Maha Saptami, the second day of the five-day Durga Puja of the Bangalee Hindu community, was celebrated on Tuesday with much enthusiasm and religious fervor across the country following health guidelines amid the corona pandemic.
The Maha Ashtami will be celebrated today (Wednesday) and all devotees would offer anjali (worship) at temples throughout the country on a limited scale due to COVID-19 pandemic.
A mood of festivity is being witnessed among the devotees irrespective of ages marking the festival following strict health guidelines.
Besides, adequate security measures have been taken in the puja pandaps across the country.
Special prayers were held at different puja mandaps where devotees offered prayers before the Goddess Durga seeking peace, prosperity and relief from the coronavirus pandemic.
Recitation of verses from the Holy Chandi, blowing of conch shells and beating of dhak-dhols at temples and pandals are being continued from Maha Shashti which will continue till immersion of idols of goddess Durga on October 15.
The five-day long Durga Puja celebration began with the unveiling of the face of the deity and Kalparambho on the day of Maha Sashthi on Monday and it will end on October 15 with the immersion of the idols.
The incarnation (Bodhon) of the Goddess Durga was held on October 10 ahead of the puja on the day of Maha Panchami.
Maha Nabami puja will be performed on October 14 (Thursday).
The Mahalaya, the auspicious occasion heralding the advent of goddess Durga, was celebrated on October 6.
Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad leaders urged all devotees to properly maintain the health guidelines and directives, that were issued by the government in the wake of the global pandemic, during the Durga Puja celebration.
In Dhaka city, the main puja mandaps are Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramkrishna Mission and Math, Kalabagan, Banani, Shakhari Bazar and Ramna Kali Mandir.
Durga Puja signifies the birth of Durga with the blessings of gods, as a collective energy, to fight the demon king Mahishasura.
Durga Puja is being celebrated at 32,118 puja mandaps across the country this year while the puja is being arranged at 238 puja mandaps in the capital Dhaka, according to a statement of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad.
Earlier, at a meeting on security measures during celebration of Durga Puja, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said that law enforcement agencies have taken tight security measures for ensuring peaceful celebration of the Durga Puja.
Special steps have been taken, including deployment of police forces along with members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Ansar-VDP and community police to ensure peaceful celebration of Durga Puja festivity, he said.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs urged the members of Hindu community for maintaining health guidelines properly during the celebration of Durga Puja from October 11 to 15 in view of the ongoing corona situation.
All priests and devotees must have to wear masks.
Hand washing system and hand sanitizer must be kept at the entrances of all the temples while if required, body temperature should be checked with a thermal scanner at the entrance, it added.
All will have to maintain social distancing during the immersion of idols on the day of Bijoya Dashami.
A central control room has been opened at 'Dhakeshwari Mandir Melangan' at the initiative of Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee.
