Durga Puja ends amid festivity

The five-day celebration of Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Bengali Hindu community, ended here today (October 24) with immersion of the Goddess Durga in the river Padma.

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 made a visit to 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.

The Hindu devotees danced and sang “kirton” before removing the idols of Durga and other Gods and Goddesses from the altar of all mandaps or makeshift pavilions for immersion.

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.

Rajshahi City Bhadra Residential Puja Parishad Chief Patron Dr. BK Dam said, “We have prayed for the welfare of the country and its people so that people can live together in peace.”

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.