The five-day Sharadiya Durga Puja, the largest religious festival of the Hindu community, ended today with the immersion of Goddess Durga’s idols across the country amid deep devotion, colorful rituals, and emotional farewells.
On Bijoya Dashami, devotees carried idols from temples and puja mandaps in vibrant processions, chanting mantras, beating traditional dhak-dhol, blowing conch shells, and performing uludhoni before immersing the idols in rivers, ponds, and other water bodies.
Earlier, married women dressed in white sarees with red borders took part in Sindur Khela, offering vermillion and sweets to the goddess before smearing each other’s faces with sindur, wishing for marital happiness and prosperity.
Temples and mandaps nationwide, including Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramna Kali Mandir, Ramakrishna Mission and Math, and Siddheshwari Kali Mandir, witnessed massive gatherings of worshippers. The day began with Dashami Puja, followed by Darpan Bisarjan, a symbolic ritual marking the goddess’s departure.
In Dhaka, immersion ceremonies at Dhakeshwari, Ramakrishna Mission, Ramna, Banani, Shankhari Bazar and other key venues drew thousands of devotees. Security was tight, with police, RAB, BGB, Ansar and volunteers managing traffic and crowds.
Similar celebrations and idol immersions were observed in Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barishal, and district towns including Narayanganj, Faridpur, Jashore, Tangail, Dinajpur, and Satkhira.
Families exchanged blessings and traditional sweets like chomchom, sandesh, kalojam and narkeler naru following the immersion.
This year’s Puja began on September 28 with Maha Shashthi and concluded today with Dashami. According to Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, the number of mandaps rose to 33,355 nationwide, including 258 in Dhaka city.
The interim government allocated Tk 5 crore for Puja celebrations, while a central control room at Dhakeshwari Temple monitored security arrangements.
As devotees bid farewell to the goddess, chants of “Aschhe Bochhor Abar Hobe” (Durga Puja will return next year) echoed across the country, marking the end of the festival with both joy and emotion.
MN/
