Dhaka, Oct. 16 -- Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, began in Bangladesh on Friday with Maha Shasthi.

On the first day, devotees are performing Bodhan, the ceremonial awakening and invocation of Goddess Durga, marking the formal commencement of the festivities.

This year, Durga Puja are being celebrated at 33,165 mandaps across the country.

Devotees of all ages are expected to visit the mandaps and offer prayers to Goddess Durga, seeking divine blessings for peace, prosperity and the welfare of the country and its people, during the main rituals that will continue through Bijoya Dashami on October 21.

Mahalaya, which marks the beginning of preparations for Durga Puja, was observed across the country on ...