Saraswati Puja celebrated with religious fervour

People from Hindu faith offer tributes to the goddess during Saraswati Puja on Jagannath Hall premises of Dhaka University (DU) on 30 February, 2020. Photo: Prothom Alo
People from Hindu faith offer tributes to the goddess during Saraswati Puja on Jagannath Hall premises of Dhaka University (DU) on 30 February, 2020. Photo: Prothom Alo

Saraswati Puja, one of the main religious festivals of the Hindu community, was celebrated in Bangladesh on Thursday amid much enthusiasm, festivity and religious fervour, according to UNB.

The puja is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Magh, as it is believed that the goddess of wisdom and knowledge was born on this day.

The day is called Vasant Panchami.

Hindu devotees, especially students, celebrate the puja at different educational institutions and temples.

In the capital, Saraswati Puja was arranged at different places and educational institutions, including Jagannath Hall on the Dhaka University campus and Ram Krishna Mission.

Home minster Asaduzzaman Khan visited puja mandaps at Rajdhani High School in Manik Mia Avenue in the capital.

The most decorative and gorgeous celebrations of Saraswati Puja was arranged on the premises of Jagannath Hall where a huge number of devotees and crowd thronged to perform the religious rituals and visited the pandals circled on the playground of the university’s dormitory.

On Dhaka University campus, the puja was also organised at all female dormitories -- Rokeya Hall, Samsun Nahar Hall, Bangladesh Kuwait Moitri Hall, Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall and Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall.

The puja was also arranged at Ram Krishna Mission, Jagannath University, Siddheswari Temple, Supreme Court premises, Farashganj, Shakhari Bazar, Tanti Bazar and different other places in Old Dhaka and different educational institutions in the city.

Meanwhile, like previous years, Jahangirnagar University Central Puja Udjapan Committee organised Saraswati Puja on the campus.

A total of 22 puja mandaps were decorated on the campus this year.

At Rajshahi University, the puja was celebrated at different halls and the central temple.

On 18 January, the election commission decided to defer elections to both Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) from 30 January to 1 February as the elections coincided with Saraswati Puja.