• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Mahalaya 2025: Sanatan devotees all over Bangladesh observed Mahalaya on Sunday with traditional reverence, the spiritual beginning of Sharadiya Durgotsab. Mahalaya, marking the arrival of Goddess Durga on Earth, traditionally precedes the nine-day countdown to Durga Puja, which begins on September 28 with Shashthi Puja.

On Mahalaya, devotees chanted the Chandipath to invoke the goddess to initiate her cosmic power. As per mythology, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva created Mahamaya to vanquish the demon Mahishasura in order to restore cosmic order. The day also marks Pitru Paksha Tarpan, a ritual where ancestors are worshiped using offerings of water, sesame seeds, and food.

Dhakeshwari National Temple in Dhaka organised special events, such as Chokkhu Daan (eye-opening ceremonies) and ceremonial ghats installations. The same rituals took place across the country at major spiritual hubs like Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Baradeshwari Kalimata Temple, Jagannath Hall, and Dhaka University. Metropolitan Universal Puja Committee arranged the Mahalaya events, with a view to having rituals and pots installed at major mandaps. The chants and Chandipath recitations, a growing sense of insecurity shrouded celebrations for a lot of Sanatan devotees, haunted by last year's violent attacks and recent incidents, casting this year's Sharadiya Durgotsab in shadow.

Last Year's Attacks During Durga Puja:

• Following the August 5 collapse of the Awami League government, minority communities faced over 2,000 attacks in just two weeks, including 69 assaults on places of worship.
• Five Hindus were killed, and many women suffered abuse; vandalism and looting were widespread.
• Idols were vandalised in Pabna and other districts in September and October.
• Extortion letters and threats for donations in Khulna forced puja committees to cancel celebrations.
• Petrol bombs were hurled at puja pandals in Old Dhaka, resulting in stampedes and panic.
• During the festival in Chittagong, an Islamic song interrupted a Puja stage event, triggering widespread protests.
• The crown of goddess Kali, gifted by Prime Minister Modi, was stolen from Jeshoreshwari temple in Satkhira.

Attacks And Fears Ahead of Durga Puja 2025:

• Days before 2025 Durga Puja, miscreants vandalised the Sri Sri Rakha Kali temple in Kushtia’s Mirpur upazila during a blackout. Idols of Kartik and Saraswati were desecrated, and temple security was destroyed.
• Earlier, in June, Dhaka’s Khilkhet area saw a Durga temple demolished by authorities, prompting mass protests and condemnation from minority groups.
• A shocking rape case in Comilla, where five men were arrested after mutilating and humiliating a Hindu woman.
• Minority organizations organized human chains and rallies in Dhaka, demanding protection amid relentless intimidation and targeting of Hindus and places of worship .

ALSO READ: Bangladesh: Hindu Temple Attacked In Kushtia Ahead Of Durga Puja, Idols Of Kartik And Saraswati Vandalised | Video

India's Rising Concern

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) repeatedly asked the government of Bangladesh to protect minority rights, including religious places. India is concerned with repeated attacks, temple demolitions, and threats to Hindu communities at the threshold of the festival season.

ALSO READ: Bangladesh Airlines Scandal: How These Two Hostesses Lured Men Mid-Air For Gifts, Cash, And iPhones

While Mahalaya traditionally marks the auspicious start of Durga Puja, the lingering threats and recent attacks in Bangladesh have placed a pall of uncertainty over festivities. Thus this Mahalaya is not entirely ‘subho’ for many devotees, highlighting the immediate necessity for minority rights and protection of worship places in the nation.