Durga Puja ends with immersion of idols

The five-day Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindus, ended yesterday with the immersion of the idols of goddess Durga and her children amid festivity.

According to the Hindu mythology, Durga has returned to her husband Lord Shiva's house at Kailash through immersion.

Earlier, mother deity Durga was bidden farewell by Darpan Bisharjan in temples at 8:50am.

Amid tight security, idols from puja mandaps in and around the capital were immersed into the Buriganga and the Turag. In Chattogram, idols were immersed into the Bay in the port city's Patenga and Khalurghat areas.

This year's puja was held amid festivities after low-key celebrations in the last two years due to the pandemic.

Durga Puja, also known as Sharadiya (autumnal) Durga Utsab, is the worship of the divine force embodied in goddess Durga. It symbolises the battle between good and evil in which the dark forces eventually succumb to the divine forces.

The festival began on Saturday on a happy note as goddess Durga came to earth riding an elephant with her daughters Saraswati and Lakshmi and sons Ganesh and Kartik, symbolising good harvest. The mother returned to her in-laws' house in Mount Kailash riding a boat.

Yesterday, Hindu devotees from different parts of the capital came to the bank of the Buriganga on trucks carrying the idols. They sang hymns to Durga with the sounds of musical instruments such as Shankha, Khol, and Dhak.

Devotees with tearful eyes were seen bidding farewell to the mother deity and her children, wishing Durga's return next year.

On Bijoya Dashami, Hindu families visited each other to share sweetmeats. As part of the main rituals of Dashami Puja, female devotees gave vermilion at the feet of Durga at mandaps and temples as part of the traditional "Shidur Khela".

The ritual follows Hindu women putting vermilion on each other aspiring for prosperity in lives.

This year, Durga Puja was celebrated at 32,168 mandaps across the country, including 241 in the capital, according to Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad.