Photo: BSS

RAJSHAHI, Oct 2, 2025 (BSS) - The five-day Sharadiya Durga Puja, the most sacred festival of the Hindu community ended today with the immersion of the idols of Goddess Durga in the river Padma.
 
The last day rituals of the festival were celebrated amid much enthusiasm and festivity. 

‘Prasad' and sweets were distributed among the devotees as well as people belonging to other communities, who visited the Puja Mandaps.
 
Marking the Bijoya Dashami, women devotees were seen pasting vermillion (Sindur) on the forehead of Goddess Durga and among themselves amid a joyous and festive mood.
 
The idols were taken to the river Padma, ponds, canals and other water bodies for immersion with colourful processions, dancing and singing `kirton'.
 
Thousands of devotees joined the ritual when the idols were being carried to the nearby rivers particularly from all mandaps or makeshift pavilions for immersion.
 
Additional security measures were arranged at all the immersion points. Divers of the Fire Service and Civil Defense were deployed there to avert any untoward incident.
 
Members of police, RAB, BGB and Ansar-VDP were on duty round-the-clock since the beginning of the Durga Puja festival.
 
Officials, politicians and leaders of different socio-cultural organizations, including Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Muhammad Abu Sufian visited different puja mandaps. 
 
The Durga Puja was celebrated at 3,449 puja mandaps had been set up across eight districts under Rajshahi division, excluding 103 mandaps in Rajshahi city.