KHULNA, Oct 23, 2020 (BSS) – The five-day Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, is being celebrated in the city and all nine upazilas of the district amid enthusiasm and festive mood to maintain the health directives, set up by the government, during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
The festival was marked by puja, arati, recitation from scriptures, distribution of proshad, offering of devotional songs and bhajans.
Devotees, at least 10 in a group, are seen visiting different puja mandaps to have a look at goddess Durga with great excitement.
Besides, a huge crowd was not seen at the Puja mandaps throughout the day especially in the afternoon as the Puja mondaps have been closed after the evening.
General Secretary of City Unit Puja Udjapon Parishad Prashanta Kumar Kundu told BSS that a total of 136 Puja mandaps were set up in the Metropolitan city while 846 mandaps were set up in all nine upazilas of the district to celebrate the Durga Puja.
Meanwhile, a total of 475 tonnes of government rice have been distributed at 550 puja mandaps in the city and district while Khulna City Corporation (KCC) has distributed Taka 6.93-lakh at 80 puja mandaps in the city.
The celebration will be ended through immersion of the idols of goddess Durga on Bijoya Dashami on October 26.
Meanwhile, strict security measures have been taken in the city and all nine upazilas to avert any untoward incidents during the religious festival of the Hindu community.
Additional Commissioner of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) Rakibul Islam said three-tier security measures have been adopted in the city areas. Adequate law enforcers like teams of police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), city special branch of police and detective branch of police have already been deployed at all important puja mandap points during the celebration in the city, he added.
A team of police along with Ansars have also been deployed at all the temples during the puja celebration, said Khulna Police Superintendent SM Shafiullah.