Preparations going on for Sharadiya Durga Puja in Rajshahi. Photo : BSS

RAJSHAHI, Sept 21, 2025 (BSS)- Extensive preparations are progressing here for the upcoming Sharadiya Durga Puja, the largest religious festival for Hindus in the region.

This year, a total of 462 puja pandals will be organised, including 382 in rural areas and 80 in the city in Rajshahi district. The festivities will 
begin on September 28 with Mahashashthi and conclude with idol immersion on Mahadashami.

The works of decorating and painting idols and puja mandaps are being made with much enthusiasm ahead of the festival. 

A preparatory meeting was held recently at the Deputy Commissioner's conference room, chaired by Rajshahi District Commissioner Afia Akhtar. 

She said, "Durga Puja is the heart of our community. Efforts are underway to ensure the smooth creation of idols and its safe, peaceful celebrations."
 
Law enforcement, including police, Ansar, and RAB, will maintain vigilance, with CCTV monitoring at key locations and volunteers deployed to assist. 
Additional District Commissioner Mohinul Hasan emphasized that Durga Puja symbolizes social harmony, and the administration will fully support peaceful observance.
 
Local artisans are working intensively, incorporating both traditional and modern designs into the idols and decorations, reflecting the cultural 
diversity of the festival.

Members of the Rajshahi Hindu Religious Welfare Trust, local puja committees, and law enforcement officials attended the meeting.

Swapon Ghosh, a devotee who supervises a puja mandap in Kumarpara area of the city, informed that preparations for the upcoming Durga Puja are on the final stage.
 
Shyamal Kumar Ghosh, Rajshahi city unit general secretary of Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, said that Durga Puja will be celebrated in a festive mood here.
 
Decorations of temples, lighting, and setting up of mandaps are expected to turn the city into a festive look within the next couple of days, he added.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Dr Muhammad Shahjahan told BSS that Durga Puja will be celebrated in 3,449 mandaps across the eight districts of Rajshahi division this year, including 103 mandaps in Rajshahi metropolis.
 
The police administration has taken elaborate security measures for smooth celebration of the puja, he added.
 
Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) has intensified intelligence surveillance ahead of the Durga Puja in the metropolis.
 
"We are determined to celebrate the religious festival amid enthusiasm and communal harmony," said Abu Sufian, commissioner of the RMP, adding that they have adopted tight security measures to make the Durga Puja celebration festive and successful.
 
Ahead of the religious festival, the RMP held coordination meetings at its conference hall recently.