GAIBANDHA, Sept 17, 2022(BSS) - Preparations for holding Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu Community in the country, are progressing fast throughout the district as the commencement of the annual event draws nearer.

The five-day long festival will begin this year from October 1 with due respect and religious fervor and conclude on October 5 through the immersion of idols at different water bodies including ponds, canals and rivers.

President of District Puja Utjapon Parishad Ranajit Bakshi Surjya said a total of 620 puja mandaps would be erected in all the seven upazilas in the district this year.

After visiting different puja mandaps in the district town it was seen that the artisans (Malarkars) are passing their busy times for doing painting and other related works to make the idols very attractive and nice looking to the devotees and the visitors.
 
Initiative has also been taken to provide uninterrupted power supply to the puja mandaps at nights to enable the Hindu devotees in offering their puja prayers, archana, kirtons, arati and other religious rituals, said an official.

Superintendent of police (SP) Muhammad Towhidul Islam said a full-proof security measures have been taken in and around of all the puja mandaps of the district by the law enforcing agencies to ensure a peaceful atmosphere for holding the puja festival smoothly.

Police, ansar and VDP members including gram police would be deployed at the puja mandaps each and the elite forces RAB would also patrol on the road to hold the puja here smoothly, the SP also said.

Stern action would be taken against the persons who would be involved in creating anarchy and trouble at the time of puja, the SP warned.