Maha Ashtami, the third day of the six-day Sharadiya Durga Puja festival, is being celebrated across the country today (19 October) with due religious fervour and festivity.
Maha Ashtami Kalparambha and Bihit Puja were held this morning at temples across the country, including Dhakeshwari National Temple. Devotees later offered anjali (prayers) and received charanamrito (sacred water). Maha Prasad was also distributed among devotees.
Sandhi Puja was held from 7:55am to 8:43am, marking the transitional moment between Ashtami and Navami.
According to Hindu mythology, the ritual commemorates the moment when Goddess Durga assumed the form of Chamunda to slay the demon brothers Chanda and Munda.
Kumari Puja, a traditional ritual in which a young, unmarried girl is worshipped as an embodiment of Goddess Durga and the divine feminine, was held at some temples across the country.
In the capital, Kumari Puja was held at Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission Dhaka at 9:30am.
During the ritual, an unmarried pre-pubescent girl, generally aged between one and 16, is worshipped as the living embodiment of the divine feminine and Goddess Durga.
Devotees offer water, clothes, flowers, and gold and silver ornaments at the feet of the Kumari as part of the special ritual.
Puja mandaps across the country have been bustling with devotees and visitors since last Friday, when the six-day festival began with the ceremonial invocation of Goddess Durga on Maha Shashthi.
Vibrant decorations, traditional dhak beats, the ringing of kashor and ghonta, conch-shell blasts and ululation have added to the festive atmosphere.
Devotees have been visiting puja pandals across the country to offer prayers and enjoy the celebrations.
A total of 33,851 puja mandaps have been set up across the country this year, including 258 in the capital, according to the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad. The number has increased by nearly 1,500 compared to last year.
The Gulshan-Banani Puja Foundation is hosting one of the most elaborate celebrations at Kamal Ataturk Park in Banani. Makeshift pandals at Kalabagan ground and Khamarbari have also emerged as major attractions for visitors in the capital, with large structures and eye-catching lighting displays drawing crowds.
Maha Navami will be celebrated tomorrow with religious fervour and enthusiasm. Devotees will gather at temples and mandaps to offer anjali, while major concluding worship rituals and the offering of bhog will mark the day.
Bijaya Dashami will be celebrated on Wednesday, marking the farewell to Goddess Durga. Devotees will take the idols in processions to designated rivers, ponds and other water bodies for immersion, known as Bisarjan.
In the capital, a large number of Durga Puja celebrations are being held in the old parts of the city, including Tantibazar and Shakharibazar.
Ramna Kali Mandir, Siddheshwari Kali Mandir, Dhaka University's Jagannath Hall and Uttara Sarbajanin Mandir are also witnessing large numbers of visitors every day during the festival.