Preparations are in full swing across Tangail as the Hindu community gears up for its biggest festival, Sharadiya Durga Puja. This year, celebrations will take place at 1,247 mandaps across the district, with artisans giving final touches to the idols and decorators setting up gates and lighting.
According to the Hindu calendar, today is Mahalaya, which marks the beginning of Devi Paksha. The main rituals will start on 28 September with Maha Shashti, followed by Maha Saptami (29 September), Maha Ashtami (30 September), Maha Navami (1 October), and immersion on 2 October. Religious tradition holds that this year the Goddess will arrive on an elephant and depart on a palanquin.
District administration sources confirmed mandap numbers across the upazilas, including Mirzapur (257), Tangail Sadar (214), Kalihati (163), and Nagarpur (129). Compared to last year, the number has increased. Each mandap has been allocated 500 kilogrammes of rice from the government, while Tangail Municipality has provided Tk 5,000 for 110 mandaps under its jurisdiction.
Idol-makers said work would be completed on time, with only colouring and decoration remaining for some. Many artisans, engaged in the ancestral profession for generations, said they prepare multiple idols of various sizes, earning their livelihood during the season.
To ensure peace and security, the district administration and police have held meetings with Puja committees and political leaders. Superintendent of Police Mizanur Rahman said around 950 law enforcement members, including police, RAB, and Ansar, will be deployed, alongside plain-clothes officers and mobile teams.
Deputy Commissioner Sharifa Haque confirmed that extensive preparations were in place. Volunteers will also assist at mandaps. She expressed confidence that, like previous years, the festival would be celebrated in a joyful and peaceful atmosphere, with people of all faiths joining the occasion.
