Following the evening Aarti on Nabami, a bittersweet atmosphere settled over the Dhakeshwari National Temple. A poignant note of farewell quietly resonated amid the exuberant celebrations of the Sharadiya Durga Puja.
According to Hindu belief, Goddess Durga will leave the mortal world on Bijoya Dashami to return to her husband's home in Kailash. As a result, devotees experienced a mix of joy and sadness at the temple premises on Maha Nabami.
Tuesday's proceedings at the Dhakeshwari Temple commenced in the morning with the Nabami ritual sacrifice and prayers.
Hindu tradition holds that Lord Rama performed this worship on the ninth day of the lunar fortnight after slaying Ravana. Devotees flooded the national temple to offer prayers for the destruction of evil and the establishment of world peace that day.
Mother worship began at 8:15am with sixteen-item rituals, alongside the ceremonial bathing of the Navapatrika and Darpan (mirror).
A sacrificial ritual using 108 bael leaves, mango wood, and clarified butter followed to make offerings to the deity. After offering floral tributes, devotees gathered holy water and ashes from the sacrificial fire.
Soumyadeep Chattopadhyay, assistant priest at the Dhakeshwari Temple, said Nabami Puja is considered a "complete worship" (Bhara Puja).
Popular belief holds that on this day, fifteen aspects (Kala) of Goddess Durga combine with one aspect of Lord Shiva, completing her sixteen attributes.
This divine union symbolises an enhancement of her spiritual and physical strength, empowering her to slay the demon Mahishasura on Bijoya Dashami.
Highlighting the significance of Maha Nabami, temple priest Barun Chakraborty said that its primary aim is the annihilation of evil forces and the welfare of humanity.
According to tradition, the deity arrived on a horse this year and will depart on a boat -- a cycle associated with hopes of a bountiful agricultural harvest.
Bittersweet Emotions
Throughout the day, the Dhakeshwari Temple grounds bustled with visitors making offerings and taking part in prayers. However, the impending departure on Dashami cast a shadow of melancholy over many attendees.
Nipa Roy, a visitor at the temple, noted that Nabami brings mixed emotions: great joy alongside the realisation that the festival is drawing to a close ahead of the deity's send-off on Dashami.
Malini, an elderly devotee from Araihazar who has participated in ceremonies since Shasthi, spent the day applying sacred marks (Tilak) to visitors. Despite her frailty from continuous effort, she remained dedicated to her duties, expressing tearful reluctance to bid farewell to the Goddess.
Celebrations, Visits, and Aarti Competition
Devotees received consecrated food at 1pm. Earlier, at 12:30pm, Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of the temple's main entrance.
The project aims to modernise the gate while remaining harmonious with the temple's original architecture.
Delegations from several political parties --including Gono Forum, the Socialist Party of Bangladesh (BaSad), and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JaSaD) -- as well as faculty and students from Dhaka University, visited the temple during the day.
The evening's main highlight was the traditional Aarti competition, featuring 30 to 40 participants performing dance and drumming rituals to the rhythm of the Dhak.
A three-member panel evaluated the performances, with trophies and monetary awards allocated for the top three contestants by the celebration committee.
The Dhakeshwari Temple holds an ancient Durga Puja heritage, with origins traditionally dated to the 12th-century reign of Ballal Sen. The original ritual centres on a one-foot-tall idol housed in the main precinct.
Following the 1947 partition, the original idol was relocated to the Sri Sri Dhakeshwari Mata Temple in Kumartuli, Kolkata. Annual celebrations at the present Dhakeshwari Temple complex in Dhaka have been continuously organised since 1978.
Dashami Preparations and Immersion
The five-day festival concludes on Wednesday with the immersion of the idols on Bijoya Dashami. The temple will also host its annual blood donation drive, a tradition maintained for nearly 50 years.
Final rituals and the symbolic immersion of the mirror (Darpan Bisarjan) are scheduled for completion by 9:57am on Wednesday, marking the official end of the scriptural rites.
Tapas Kumar Pal, vice-president of the Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee, told bdnews24.com that formal reception rituals (Mayer Boron) will take place at 11am, followed by Sindoor Khela at 12pm, where married women apply vermilion to one another in celebration.
A 100-member delegation from the Dhakeshwari Temple committee is scheduled to exchange greetings with the president at Bangabhaban between 11am and 12pm.
Owing to security considerations, the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad has instructed that idol immersions be completed before nightfall.
Tapas confirmed that the immersion procession will depart Dhakeshwari Temple at around 4pm, passing through Palashi, Jagannath Hall, Doyel Chattar, Gulistan, Nawabpur Road, and Ray Shaheb Bazar, before reaching Wiseghat on the banks of the Buriganga River for the final immersion ceremony.