‘Ripu Rajani’ in Durga Puja mandap draws massive crowds in Chattogram
Badal Roy Shadin, Sandwip (Chattogram)
A unique Durga Puja theme highlighting self-purification and moral reform has drawn tens of thousands of visitors to North Kattali in Chattogram, creating queues stretching up to four kilometres outside the venue.
The ‘Ripu Rajani’ presentation at Bani Mandir, located at Talukdar Bari near Seba Khola, has emerged as one of the major highlights of this year’s Sharadiya Durga Puja celebrations. Visitors from across Chattogram and neighboring districts have gathered at the mandap, with devotees and sightseers enduring wait times of two to three hours to gain entry.
Conceived as an artistic and philosophical commentary, ‘Ripu Rajani’ centers on overcoming the Shadripu—the six inner enemies in Hindu philosophy, comprising lust (kama), anger (krodha), greed (lobha), delusion (moha), pride (mada), and envy (matsarya). The visual displays inside the mandap illustrate how these destructive impulses corrupt human character, while encouraging visitors to embrace self-restraint, empathy, and moral uprightness.
Widely shared photographs and videos of the installation have gone viral on social media, sparking nationwide interest and turning the local mandap into a regional attraction. Community leaders and visitors noted that by combining traditional religious festivities with a thought-provoking social message, the organizers have offered a memorable experience centered on conscience and humanity.
