GAIBANDHA, Oct 03, 2024 (BSS) - A total of 561 puja mandaps will be installed here as preparations for holding Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, are progressing fast.

The 5-day long festival will begin on October 09 with due respect and religious fervor and conclude on October 13 through the immersion of idols at different water bodies including ponds, canals and rivers.

District Puja Udjapan Parishad President said a total of 561 puja mandaps would be erected in the district this year.

Of those, some 92 mandaps are being erected in Sadar upazila, 125 in Sundarganj upazila, 126 in Gobindaganj upazila, 90 in Sadullapur upazila, 57 in Palashbari upazila, 58 in Shaghata upazila and 13 in Fulchhari upazila, he said.

The artisans (Malarkars) are passing their busy times with painting and other 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) Mosarrof Hossain said a full-proof security measures have been taken in and around of all the puja mandaps of the district to ensure peaceful puja festival.

Police, Ansar and Village Defense Party (VDP) would be deployed at the puja mandaps each and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) would also patrol on the road as devotees can perform puja smoothly, he said.

Stern and lawful action would be taken against troublemakers at the time of puja, the SP warned.

Earlier, a preparatory meeting to celebrate the festival peacefully was held at the conference room of Deputy Commissioner (DC) here on September 26 with DC Chowdhury Moazzam Ahmad in the chair.

A decision was also taken to open a control room in each upazila during the festival to watch the law and order situation in all the puja mandaps, DC office sources said.