Mahasaptami of Durga Puja celebrated

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Mohasaptami, the second day of the greatest religious festival of the Hindu community Durga Puja, was celebrated Monday with Saptami Puja, reports BSS.
Swami Sthiratmananda of Ramakrishna Mission in Dhaka said on the sixth day the Divinity was invoked in the Bel tree or a branch of it. On the seventh day, the Deity is invoked in a group of nine plants known as Navapatrika.
Marking the event, the nine plants were given a ceremonial bath, covered with an orange coloured saree and installed on a wooden seat on the right side of the image of Durga.
This was followed by elaborate worship of the Devi with 16 items. Other deities, attendants and other objects associated with the Devi were then worshipped.
The Saptami Puja ended with Bhog (food offering) and Arati.
Later, the devotees offered 'pushpanjali' to the Deity.
Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Manik Lal Samaddar Monday visited Dhakeswari Jatiya Mandir and distributed clothes and cash money among poor families. Leaders of the Puja committees Maj Gen (retd) CR Dutta, Bir Uttam, Kajal Debnath, Prof Nim C Bhoumik, Swapan Kumar Saha and Tapos Kumar Paul were present on the occasion.
Awami League presidium member Abdur Razzak visited Ramsita Mandir in the city and distributed sarees among poor women on behalf of party president Sheikh Hasina. Later, he visited Ramakrishna Mission Puja Mandap.
Talking to the news agency, leaders of Puja committees expressed their gratitude to the government for the measures taken for holding the Puja in a peaceful manner.
Kumari Puja, one of the most attractive and significant programmes of the Durga Puja will be arranged at Ramakrishna Mission today (Tuesday) marking Maha Ashtami.
Bangladesh Writers' Guild will arrange publication of the book 'Bhubangaoner Chalchitra' at the National Press Club at 4:00 pm today (Tuesday) marking the Sharodiyo Durgotsob.
An official handout said the Durga Puja is being held at 319 mandaps in Rajshahi including 52 in the city. The government has allocated 90 tonnes of rice for different Puja mandaps. Law- enforcing agencies have taken stringent security measures to hold the Puja in a peaceful manner.