SHERPUR, Oct 21, 2023 (BSS) - The five-day Sharadiya Durga Puja, the biggest
religious festival of the Bangalee Hindu community, is being celebrated for
the second day today with offering Maha Saptami puja at different temples and
makeshift mandaps across the district including the town amid due religious
fervor, pomp and décor.
 
Maha Saptami puja was held this morning at temples followed by offering of
Anjali to Goddess by devotees who kept fasting till the puja. Later, prashad
(food and water offered to a deity during worship), was distributed among the
devotees.
 
Nabapatrika, nine plants including a banana tree tied together and wrapped in
a white sharee with red borders, were bathed in the water of nearby rivers or
ponds (the holy Ganges) and later placed next to Lord Ganesha, a Hindu deity,
son of Devi Parbati (Durga) and Lord Shiva, worshiped along with Goddess
Durga during this Sharadiya Durgotsab.
 
Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad's Sherpur district unit President Subrata
Dey Bhanu said Durga Puja is being celebrated at 157 temples and mandaps
across the district including 72 in the Sadar upazila and 58 in the district
town.
 
District administration distributed 78 tonnes of rice among the temples as
each temple gets 500 kilograms marking the festival, said District Relief And
Rehabilitation Officer SM Al-Amin.
 
Of the five upazilas in the district, puja is being held at 36 temples and
mandaps at Nalitabari, 20 in Nakla, 12 in Sribardi and 18 in Jhenaigati apart
from 72 in Sadar upazila.

The annual five-day Sharadiya Durgotsab commenced with Kalparambho on Friday
morning followed by Adhibash, Amantran (invitation) and Bodhon (incarnation)
in the late afternoon on that day.

 
Temples and puja mandaps are now witnessing recitation of verses from the
Holy Sri Sri Chandi, blowing of conch shells and beating of traditional dhak-
dhols (traditional drums), kashor since Friday and it will continue for next
days until immersion of idols on the day of Bijoya Dashami on October 24.
 
Merchant Club, organiser of one of the largest puja pandals in Sherpur town,
is celebrating its golden jubilee this year as a large colorful procession
was brought out in the town on Friday afternoon with the participation of a
huge number of devotees clad in colorful dresses.

Sherpur municipality mayor Golam Mohammad Kibria inaugurated the procession
which was joined by distinguished personalities of the town.
 
Biplab Sarker, president of the club managing committee, said they are
celebrating 50 years of their puja at Maa Bhaba Tara (Kali temple) temple
which was built 150 years back by Zamindar Charu Mohan Chowdhury's wife Tara
Moni Chaudhurani.
 
Marking the five-day festival, a free medical camp and voluntary blood
donation champing have been arranged on the temple premises.
 
Apart from Merchant Club, other biggest puja celebrations are being held at
Madhabpur Club, Somobai Club at Chawkbazar, Gopalbari temple, Shobharthi
Club, Young Merchant and Friends Club.
 
Young Merchant Club managing committee leader Sanjib Chanda Biltu said arati
or Dhunuchi nach (dance) competition on the day of Maha Nabami on October 23
will be one of the major attractions of this puja mandap while foods and
clothes will be distributed among distressed people on that day.