Durga Puja in Bangladesh

The largest festival of Bangladesh's Hindu community is celebrated in tens of thousands of pandals across the country each autumn.

Durga Puja honours the goddess Durga's victory over the demon Mahishasura. In Bangladesh it is celebrated over several days in autumn, with clay images made by local artisans, music, prayers and community feasts. Dhakeshwari Temple and the pandals of Old Dhaka are among the busiest. On Bijoya Dashami the images are carried to rivers and ponds for immersion. The festival is a public holiday, and many people of other faiths visit pandals, making it an occasion widely shared across communities.