Holidaymakers perform religious rituals while visiting the seaside resort
Biplab Saha and his wife Monika Saha came to Cox’s Bazar from Dhaka with their two children during the long Durga Puja holiday. Although they planned to explore the beach, they were unsure where to perform their religious rituals.
They later learned that a Durga Puja mandap had been set up at Laboni Point on Cox’s Bazar beach for tourists. The family visited the mandap and performed their rituals, including offering anjali.
The couple spoke to New Age on Sunday at the mandap organised by the Tourism Beach Puja Celebration Council near the Laboni Point intersection.
“It is a wonderful arrangement. We were worried about where we could offer Anjali. After hearing about the puja organised for tourists, we came here. We have been able to enjoy our holiday and perform our religious rituals as well. We feel excellent about it, and the children have also enjoyed themselves,” Biplab said.
His wife Monika shared the same experience.
“We do not usually get holidays. When we came to Cox’s Bazar during the long Durga Puja break, we were worried about how we would perform the puja rituals. We feel excellent to be here,” she said.
The couple is among many Hindu tourists visiting Cox’s Bazar during the holiday and performing religious rituals at the mandap. Local devotees and visitors are also gathering there to see the idol.
Local devotee Sayantan Bhattacharya said the arrangement for tourists was excellent. He visited the mandap to see the idol and was pleased with the initiative.
Titu Das, chief adviser to the Tourism Beach Puja Celebration Council, said tourism was the main source of livelihood for many people in Cox’s Bazar. Hindu people from different parts of the country visit the district during the long Durga Puja holiday, but many tourists are unsure where to find puja celebrations in the town.
To address the problem, the council first organised the puja in front of the Zila Parishad Market in 2009. The initiative has continued for 17 years, he said.
With support from the government, administration, and tourism businesses, the puja is organised smoothly every year, and the law-and-order situation remains excellent, Titu added.
Since 2009, council president Kajal Sharma has organised the annual event to keep tourism activities uninterrupted during Durga Puja celebrations.
The initiative receives a strong response every year from tourists and local visitors, and this year has been no exception, he said.
This year, 324 mandaps have been set up across Cox’s Bazar district for Durga Puja. The celebrations began with Maha Shashthi on Friday, October 16. According to the religious calendar, people observed Saptami on Saturday and Sunday, while Maha Ashtami is being celebrated on Monday, October 19.
The festivities will continue over the coming days, ending with Bijoya Dashami and the immersion of idols on Wednesday, October 21.
The Durga Puja celebrations have brought a festive atmosphere among Hindu communities in Cox’s Bazar. Alongside religious rituals, people are meeting relatives, visiting mandaps, and sharing the festival’s joy. Special beachside arrangements help tourists combine religious observances with holiday enjoyment.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Photo: Abdu Rashid Manik
