By Borun Kumar Dash

The Hindu community of the country is poised to celebrate the "Sharadiya Durga Puja", their biggest religious festival, scheduled to start on Wednesday.

Preparations are afoot for the annual five-day festival at temples and makeshift puja mandaps across the country to welcome Goddess Durga.

On Wednesday last, the Hindu community people celebrated Mahalaya inviting Goddess Durga to her paternal home earth from Kailash (heaven) along with her offspring Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesh and Kartik.

Hindu community believed that Goddess Durga arrives in earth from heaven during the puja as she will arrive on palanquin this year.

With only two days left for Sharadiya Durgotsab, idol makers and artisans are now passing their busiest time in giving the final touch to idols at puja mandaps across the country.

Work of clay in making idols have been completed and now the works of painting and ornamentation are underway.

On the basis of various themes, works of decorations and illuminations are also going on at puja mandaps.

A festive mood is in the air across the country as only two days left for Durga Puja. Hindus are waiting eagerly as the puja mandaps will be filled with devotional chants with the smoke of incense (dhup), beating of drums (dhak-dhol), kansar-mandira and ululation (uludhoni).

The five-day festival will begin with the unveiling of the face of the deity on the day of Maha Shashthi on October 9.

Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Nabami will be celebrated on the next days as festival will come to an end with the immersion of the idols of the Goddess Durga on Bijoya Dashami on October 13.

According to government data, Durga Puja will be celebrated at 32, 666 mandaps across the country.

In the capital, preparations are going on in full swing at Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramkrishna Math and Mission, Banani, Kalabagan, Shakhari Bazar, Shiddeshwari Kali Mandir, Ramna Kali Mandir, Jagannath Hall on Dhaka University campus, Khamar Bari at Farmgate, Lalbagh Rishipara, Rajarbagh Kalimandir and old part of Dhaka including Tanti Bazar.

Exquisitely crafted and decorated life-size clay idols of the Goddess Durga depicting her slaying the demon Mahishasura are being set up in temples and Durga Puja mandaps ahead of the celebration.

Generally, the idols are made diligently and methodically by the artisans to create exquisite pieces of artistry.

Marking the festival, Hindu community members are also passing busy time in shopping as shopping centers, malls and stores are now crowded with customers.

As per the Hindu texts, during Treta Yuga, Lord Rama Chandra fought with Dashanan Ravana. Rama Chandra worshiped Goddess Adyashakti Mahamaya (Debi Durga) in autumn hoping to increase her strength with the aim of annihilation of sins and Rama Chandra was able to rescue Goddess Sita and kill Ravana after winning the battle. Since then, Hindu community members have been celebrating Durgotsab in the autumn.

Ahead of Durga Puja, district administrations have already held preparatory meetings. Law enforcement agencies will ensure foolproof security for the peaceful and joyous celebration of Durga Puja.

About the puja schedule, Ramna Kali Mandir priest Harichad Chakrabarty said various rituals including Kalparambho will be performed in the morning on the day of Maha Shashthi on October 9 (Wednesday) while Adhibas and Amantran (invocation) will be held in the evening on that day.

On October 10, on the second day of the celebration, Maha Saptami puja will be held in the morning as nabapatrika, nine plants including a banana tree tied together and wrapped in a white saree with red borders, and bathed in the water of the holy Ganges will be placed next to Ganesha on that day.

On the third day of Maha Ashtami on October 11, different rituals including Ashtami puja, offering of Anjali, Kumari Puja and Sandhi Puja will be held in the morning.

Maha Nabami tithi will also begin on the same day this year and it will last till 6:12am on October 12. So rituals of Maha Nabami will be performed on the both days. Rituals of Dashami Puja will also be held on October 12 this year.

The festival will end on October 13 with immersion of idols in nearby rivers or ponds.

Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad President Basudeb Dhar said massive preparations are underway for Durga Puja celebration across the country.

BPUP has already given directives to celebrate the festival with due religious fervor and gaiety and engage people of all walks of life with the festival, he said.

Dhar said they have already held meetings with the government and law enforcement agencies ahead of the puja.

Home adviser, inspector general of police and officials of the administration were present in the meetings, he said, adding that the law enforcement agencies assured that no kind of untoward incident will take place centering the festival.

The BPUP leader said own volunteers will be deployed in every puja mandap across the country.

Sri Sri Ramna Kali Mandir Sharadiya Durgotsab Udjapan Parishad convener Aparna Roy Das said only two days left for Durga Puja.

"We are hopeful that we will be able to celebrate Durga Puja in proper manner. Our overall preparations and works of making idols are at the final stage. Idol makers are now doing painting works. Decorations and illumination of pavilions are also underway," she said.