Saraswati Puja celebrated on a limited scale

Saraswati Puja, one of the main religious festivals of the Hindu community, was celebrated across the country with maintaining health guidelines on Tuesday. The puja -- celebrated every year on the fifth day of the bright fortnight of the month of Magh, as goddess Saraswati was born on this day -- is being observed on a limited scale this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The day is called “Vasant Panchami.”

As Saraswati is considered as the goddess of wisdom and knowledge, Hindu devotees, especially students, celebrate the puja in different educational institutions and temples.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have greeted the Hindu community on the occasion of Saraswati Puja. In separate messages, they wished success of the event.

On the day of Saraswati Puja, children are traditionally introduced to education and learning 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, reports BSS.

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

The most decorative and gorgeous celebration of Saraswati Puja is usually arranged on the premises of Jagannath Hall of Dhaka University where a huge number of devotees and crowd throng to perform the religious rituals and visit the pandals circled on the playground of the university’s largest dormitory.

But this year, the department-wise puja arrangement was not be taken place at Jagannath Hall as the university’s dormitories remained closed for a long time in the wake of the pandemic.  Saraswati Puja was arranged at the Jagannath Hall Upasanaloy without many festivities.

The rituals of Saraswati Puja began in the morning at temples and educational institutions and residences followed by offering of “Anjali,” distribution of prashad, cultural function, discussion, and rendering of devotional songs.

According to the Hindu faith, goddess Saraswati represents power, creativity, and inspiration and presents herself when the weather is pleasant and nature is in its full grandeur.

Depicted as a graceful goddess with a crescent moon adorning her brow, she is shown riding a swan or a peacock or is seated on a lotus flower.

Saraswati Puja is being held at the Dhakeswari National Temple, Jagannath hall, Ram Krishna Mission, Siddheswari Temple, Farashganj, Shakhari Bazar, Tanti Bazar, and different other places in Old Dhaka, Banani, Ramna Kali Mandir, and Maa Anandamayi Ashram and different educational institutions in the city.