RAJSHAHI, Oct 24, 2023 (BSS) - The five-day celebration of Durga Puja, the
biggest religious festival of the Bengali Hindu community, ended here today
with immersion of the Goddess Durga in the river Padma mainly.
 
The last day rituals of the festival were celebrated amid much enthusiasm and
festivity. 'Prasad' and sweets were distributed among the devotees and the
people belonging to other communities, who visited the Puja Mandaps.
 
Marking the Bijoya Dashami women devotees applied 'Sindur' on the face of
goddess Durga and exchanged among themselves amid joyous and festive mood.
 
Before removing the idols of Durga and other Gods and Goddesses from the
altar of all mandaps or makeshift pavilions for immersion, the Hindu devotees
danced and sang "kirton".
 
Thousands of devotees joined the colorful marches as the idols were being
carried to the nearby rivers particularly the river Padma, ponds, canals and
other water bodies for immersion.

The Durgotsob was celebrated in 3,573 puja mandaps in all eight districts
under the Rajshahi division in addition to 101 in Rajshahi city amid tight
security measures this year.
 
Each of the puja mandaps was given 500 kilograms of rice on behalf of the
respective district administrations for smooth celebration of the puja in the
division this year. Rajshahi City Corporation has also provided Taka 20,000
to each of the puja mondaps in the city.
 
Members of police, and Ansar-VDP were on duty round-the-clock while
officials, politicians and leaders of different socio-cultural organisations
visited the mandaps.