Photo : Messenger
The final preparations for Durga Puja are in full swing in the 1,036 puja mandaps spread across the district, including the district headquarters of Moulvibazar. Durga Puja, the grandest religious festival for Sanatan devotees, is rapidly approaching. This year, the arrival and departure of Goddess Durga will be a significant highlight of the festivities. With the sound of traditional instruments and joyous celebrations, the stage is set for thousands of Sanatan devotees to fill the mandaps.
According to the District Puja Udjapan Parishad, this year will witness a total of 1,036 puja mandaps, an increase from last year's 1,004. Among them, 881 are public puja mandaps, and 151 are private puja mandaps. The festival will be celebrated in all seven upazilas of Moulvibazar, featuring both public and private puja mandaps. The Durga Puja will commence with the Bodhan of the Goddess on October 20 and conclude on October 24, Dashami, with Visarjan and a grand procession. The festival is known for its intricate idols, temple decorations, pandals, and the gathering of devotees and visitors from across the region and the country.
However, the idol-making process has faced challenges, including increased costs for idols, accessories, sarees, bangles, and ornaments. Despite these obstacles, artisans are working tirelessly to ensure the timely completion of the idols and preparations for the grand festival. Especially Trinaini, Maheshwari, Abahan in Moulvibazar Sadar, Shivabari Temple in Kadipur in Kulaura, and Lal Durga in Panchgao in Rajnagar Upazila, Sabuj Bagh in Srimangal, Shapla Bagh mandaps gather every year to see the eye-catching themes and decorations.
Meanwhile, the management committee of each mandap will strengthen the security system, said Ashu Rajnan Das, president of the district puja celebration committee. Apart from the city, a committee has been formed to guard the mandap for 5 days of the puja with the provision of electricity in the polluted areas of the tea plantations outside the city and in the mandaps of the villages, according to Dr. Haripad Roy of the Srimangal Upazila Puja Celebration Committee
Meanwhile, like every year, as there are more than 1000 puja mandaps, the district police administration has taken all kinds of security measures in all the upazilas around the Autumn Durga Puja. Millions of people gather day and night in large mandapas around this five-day-long puja. As a result, more than 700 members of law and order forces and 6,820 members of Ansar will be engaged to protect the overall security of 76 places of worship. Moreover, several teams of law and order forces will be working in white clothes, District Police Superintendent Md. Manjurur Rahman.
Messenger/Disha
