Janmashtami, the birth of lord Sri Krishna and one of the major festivals of the Hindu community, is being celebrated across the country with due religious fervour and gaiety, reports BSS.
In the wake of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, this time all rituals and programmes will be arranged inside temples maintaining health guidelines as a decision has been taken to keep stopped all types of processions and rallies marking the festival.
The decision was taken recently at a virtual meeting of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad central executive body with its district and city units.
In separate messages, President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the members of the Hindu community on the occasion of Janmashtami and wished all success of the programmes.
Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad General Secretary Nirmal Kumar Chattarjee said a one-day programme has been taken centrally on Dhakeshwari National Temple premises marking the festival.
Religious rituals including recitation from Shrimad Bhagavad Gita and workshops will begin in the morning, he added.
Ramkrishna Math and Ramkrishna Mission, Dhaka will hold recitation of Gita from 9am to 11:30am. Swami Debdhyanananda and Brahmacharya Bhashwar will recite from Gita. Other rituals include Bhajan (religious music) and distribution of Prasad in the afternoon and delivering of sermons by Guru Maharaj at 7:40pm and Sri Krishna Puja at 8pm.
To join the programmes, devotees must have to abide by health guidelines including wearing of facemask and maintaining of social distancing.
Monks of Sankar Math O Mission, Sitakunda will hold ‘Geetajaggo’ and worship of lord Krishna at 8am seeking blessings for the country, the nation and the world maintaining health guidelines.
According to mythology, Sri Krishna was born on the eighth day of dark fortnight in the Bangla month of Bhadra and he takes birth in ages in the world to safeguard the good and pious people from the hands of malevolence people by establishing truth, justice and beauty in the society.
It is usually observed on the eighth day (ashtami) of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Sharavan or Bhadrapad.
Different religious, cultural and social organisations have also chalked out identical programmes across the country in observance of the Janmashtami.
The day is a public holiday.
National dailies will publish special articles while Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television, other private TV channels and radio stations will air special programmes highlighting various aspects of the eventful life of Sri Krishna.
Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad President Milon Kanti Dutta and General Secretary Nirmol Chattarjee, Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee President Shoilendra Nath Majumder and General Secretary Advocate Kishor Ranjan Mondal, in a statement, today greeted all irrespective of castes, creeds and religions on the occasion of Janmashtami.