Dhaka/Kathmandu:
Thousands of Hindu devotees poured on to the streets of Bangladesh on Wednesday joining processions of goddess Durga, to mark the culmination of four days of revelry and celebration on Vijay Dashmi.
Wearing colourful attires, beating drums and chanting mantras, jubilant devotees celebrated with gusto before immersing the idols of the goddess in the Buriganga rivers in the capital Dhaka.
President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition BNP leader Khaleda Zia greeted the followers of Hindu faith as they celebrated the festival marking the victory of good over evil.
Vijya Dashami is a public holiday in Bangladesh and this year over 28,000 marquees were set up across the country for the celebrations.
The Dhakeswari National Temple, the biggest and oldest Hindu temple in the capital, drew the highest number of devotees who marched through the major streets carrying idols to the Buriganga for immersion.
"Communal harmony is our glorious history, we must uphold the tradition of interfaith harmony," President Rahman said as he hosted a reception on Wednesday.
The period of the festival saw security agencies enforce a sharper vigil and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) troops were deployed in large numbers along with the police.
"We celebrated the Durga Puja amid festivity and spontaneity and we are thankful to everybody and law enforcement agencies for their support," president of the Central Puja Celebration Council, Kanutosh Majumdar, said.
In Nepal too the festival was celebrated with fervour and hundreds of people visited the residence of President Ram Baran Yadav to get his blessings.
Hundreds of loyalists also visited the former king King Gyanendra at his residence to seek his blessings.
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, said in a message that durable peace, stability and a new constitution were the common aspirations of all Nepalis and underlined the need to muster support and cooperation from all sides to meet these aspirations.
"The nation is passing through hard times and may such transition end soon with the promulgation of democratic constitution," former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba said in his message.
Wearing colourful attires, beating drums and chanting mantras, jubilant devotees celebrated with gusto before immersing the idols of the goddess in the Buriganga rivers in the capital Dhaka.
President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition BNP leader Khaleda Zia greeted the followers of Hindu faith as they celebrated the festival marking the victory of good over evil.
Vijya Dashami is a public holiday in Bangladesh and this year over 28,000 marquees were set up across the country for the celebrations.
The Dhakeswari National Temple, the biggest and oldest Hindu temple in the capital, drew the highest number of devotees who marched through the major streets carrying idols to the Buriganga for immersion.
"Communal harmony is our glorious history, we must uphold the tradition of interfaith harmony," President Rahman said as he hosted a reception on Wednesday.
The period of the festival saw security agencies enforce a sharper vigil and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) troops were deployed in large numbers along with the police.
"We celebrated the Durga Puja amid festivity and spontaneity and we are thankful to everybody and law enforcement agencies for their support," president of the Central Puja Celebration Council, Kanutosh Majumdar, said.
In Nepal too the festival was celebrated with fervour and hundreds of people visited the residence of President Ram Baran Yadav to get his blessings.
Hundreds of loyalists also visited the former king King Gyanendra at his residence to seek his blessings.
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, said in a message that durable peace, stability and a new constitution were the common aspirations of all Nepalis and underlined the need to muster support and cooperation from all sides to meet these aspirations.
"The nation is passing through hard times and may such transition end soon with the promulgation of democratic constitution," former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba said in his message.
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