Saraswati Puja Thursday

The Hindu community is set to celebrate Saraswati Puja, worshiping the goddess of knowledge, music, art and culture, across the country on Thursday like elsewhere in the world amid much enthusiasm, festivity and religious fervor.

The Saraswati Puja or Basant Panchami falls on the fifth day of the Bengali month of Maagh each year when the Hindus worship goddess Saraswati to mark the coming of spring.

Traditionally, children are introduced to education and learning on the day of Saraswati Puja and this ritual is called “Hatekhori”. Toddlers are usually given a slate and chalk to scribble with on the auspicious day.

Major Hindu temples, schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions stage the festival with traditional gaiety and religious fervor.

The students in particular seek blessings of goddess Saraswati in their pursuit of knowledge, art, music and culture.

President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in separate messages, today greeted members of the Hindu community on the occasion of the Saraswati Puja.

Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee also issued a press release greeting all members of the Hindu community on the eve of Saraswati Puja.

Talking to BSS, Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad General Secretary Nirmal Kumar Chattarjee extended thanks to the Election Commission (EC) for shifting the voting date of Dhaka city polls as it had earlier coincided with the Saraswati Puja and also expressed gratitude to the Education Ministry for deferring SSC examination schedule for city polls.

He said Saraswati Puja is now not limited to only the Hindu community; rather members of every community specially the youths celebrate it spontaneously as a festival.

 “A large number of non-Hindu community members are taking part in the celebration of different religious festivals of the Hindu community which is a good sign to conserve the thousand-year-old non-communal Bangalee culture. This is the uniqueness of the Bengali nation and its culture,” he said.

Chattarjee said the rituals of Saraswati Puja will begin in the morning tomorrow (Thursday) at the Dhakeswari National Temple and it will continue till 11:00am.

In most temples, houses and educational institutions, the Puja will begin in the morning followed by offering of “anjali”. Then the children will be imparted “hatekhori” (introduction to learning) and later prashad (foodstuff devoted to the goddess) will be distributed among the devotees.

However, the Puja was held at some temples, houses and educational institutions today (Wednesday) as the Tithi (occasion) to hold the puja began at 9:15am on Wednesday and it will continue till 11:26 am on Thursday, reports BSS.