Dhaka, 21 October (H.S.):

Sharadiya Navratri, the biggest festival of the Hindu community, will conclude today with the immersion of Goddess Durga’s idols. According to Hindu beliefs, the immersion ceremony symbolises the goddess’s return to Mount Kailash. This year, a total of 33,165 mandaps were decorated across Bangladesh, where Maha Navami was celebrated with great enthusiasm on Tuesday.

According to a report by the Dhaka Tribune, thousands of people are expected to gather along the banks of the Buriganga River in the capital, Dhaka, today to witness the immersion of the idols. Devotees will bid farewell to Goddess Durga, along with the idols of Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartikeya and Ganesha, while praying for the deities to return next year.

As part of the principal rituals of Dashami Puja, women will offer vermilion at the feet of Goddess Durga in mandaps and temples. This traditional ritual is known as “Sindoor Khela”. Women will subsequently apply vermilion to one another and pray for happiness and prosperity in their lives. The ritual also symbolises reverence for the power of Goddess Durga.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Maha Navami was celebrated at puja mandaps across the country with religious fervour and enthusiasm.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar