Dhaka: The Hindu community in the country is set to celebrate Saturday the Saraswati Puja nationwide, worshiping the Goddess of knowledge, music, art and culture.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the followers of the Hindu faith on the occasion pointing out the heritage of interfaith harmony and her government’s commitment to ensure rights of all people belonging to every religion.

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

The students in particular seek blessings of Goddess Saraswati in their pursuit of knowledge.

Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad president Kajol Debnath said he was happy with the preparedness for celebrating the festival particularly in schools.

He said the Saraswati Puja was celebrated in every school even during the Pakistan period but the festival was marred due to different reasons in the recent past.

‘However, we are happy as the festive mood among members of Hindu community has returned and the puja is being celebrated across the country,’ Debnath said.

The Hindus worship Saraswati coinciding with the ‘Vasant Panchami’ day with pomp and decor every year and traditionally Hindu children are also imparted their first lessons in reading and writing.

In most places the Puja will begin at 8am with the offering of ‘anjali’ while the National Dakeswari Temple will start the riatuals at 9 in the morning.

Saraswati, a mythological companion of Lord Brahma, is the personification of knowledge - arts, science and crafts.  According to Hindu faith she represents power, creativity and inspiration and presents herself when the weather is pleasant and nature is in its full grandeur.

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

In the capital, Saraswati Puja will be celebrated at Jagannath Hall of Dhaka University, Dhakeswari temple, Ram Krishna Mission, Jaganntah University, Siddheswari temple, Supreme Court premises, Farashganj, Shakhari Bazar, Tanti Bazar and different places of Old Dhaka, Banani, Dhaka College, Eden Girls’ College, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Ram Krishna Mission and Math, Ramna Kali Mandir and Maa Anandamayi Ashram, Tejgaon College, Stamford University and different educational institutions in the city.

On Dhaka University campus, the Puja is also organized at Jagannath Hall, Rokeya Hall, Shamsun Nahar Hall, Bangladesh Kuwait Moitri Hall, Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall and Sufia Kamal Hall under the auspices of the students.

Jagannath Hall Provost Professor Asim Sarker told BSS that students from over 63 departments, institutes and faculty of the university have made arrangements for the puja on the playground of the dormitory this year.

Jagannth Hall administration will organise a puja at the dormitory’s Upashanaloy while employees of the hall will stage another six pandals to worship Saraswati.

‘Every department of the university will show its own characteristics through their pendals and idols. They are preparing pandals and idols on different metaphoric themes and ideas,’ Sarkar said.

Fine Arts Faculty students, however, are likely to steal the show at the Jagannath Hall puja withb their creative and artistic works in the middle of a pond at the dormitory compound.

‘The height of the idol to be set up in the middle of the pond will 45 feet, symbolizing the 45 years of the country’s independence,’ Palash Saha, one of the organisers of Fine Arts Faculty’s puja told BSS.