Maha Saptami, the second day of the five-day Durga Puja of the Bangalee Hindu community, was celebrated on Friday with much enthusiasm and religious fervor across the country following health guidelines amid the corona pandemic, reports BSS.
The Maha Maha Ashtami will be celebrated today (Saturday) and leaders of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad (BPUP) urged all devotees to offer anjali (worship) staying their houses due to coronavirus. This anjali will be given through Television and Facebook live.
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 corona pandemic.
General Secretary of BPUP Nirmal Kumar Chatarjee, Mahanagar Puja Udjapan Parisad president Shoilendra Nath Majumder, general secretary Kishore Ranjan Mandal, Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parisad advisor and eminent journalists Swapan Kumar Saha and Kajal Debnath joined a prayer at Dhakeshwari National Temple at 12:01pm.
Nirmal Kumar Chatarjee said some televisions will air Saptami, Ashtami and Nabami puja and anjali live at 10:45am. During the time, Sarbojanin Puja Committee and Dhakeshwari National Temple will be on facebook live.
He said devotees will join puja anjali from their homes.
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 26.
The five-day festival began on Thursday with the incarnation (Bodhon) of the Goddess Durga on the day of Maha Shashti.
Maha Ashtami, Kumari Puja and Sandhi Puja will be held on Saturday while Maha Nabami Puja on Sunday and Bijoya Dashami on Monday.
The biggest religious festival of the Hindus will come to an end with the immersion of the idols of the Goddess Durga in the nearby rivers and water bodies across the country on the day of Bijoya Dashami on October 26.
According to the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad (BPUP), the Durga Puja is being celebrated at 30,223 permanent and temporary puja mandaps across the country this year.
In Dhaka city, the largest number of crowd of devotees was seen at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramkrishna Mission Math, Kalabagan, Banani, Shakhari Bazar and Dhaka University Jagannath Hall puja mandaps.
Security has been beefed up at all Puja pandals throughout the country, including the capital, with the deployment of additional squads of Ansars, police, RAB and other law enforcers for peaceful celebration of the festival.
Besides, voluntary groups will also perform duties at the puja pandals.