Durga Puja is the most celebrated festival for the minority Hindu population of Bangladesh. Durga Puja 2010 will become the biggest event in the history of Durga Puja in Bangladesh as more than 22,000 Durga Puja pandals will be installed across the country for Durga puja 2010.
Durga Puja is the biggest annual religious festival of the Hindu community in which devotees worship the Hindu goddess Durga. The origin of public celebrations of grand Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsab, can be traced back to the 15th century. ‘With the ascent of the Mughals, Durga Puja became more of a status symbol those days,’ As per The Daily Star newspaper.
As a festival, Durga Puja was first organised by Raja Kangshanarayan of Taherpur in Rajshahi in the month of Aswin in the Bengali year 887 and then by Bhabananda Mazumdar of Nadiya in 1606, by the Gregorian calendar. According to one version of the Hindu mythology, goddess Durga appeared in the midst of the commoners following the prayer of King Kansa.
Marking the occasion, the first Durga worship was held at Taherpur king’s palace. The Puja this year will more than a month after Ramzan and Eid-ul-Fitr of the Muslims.